The reflected or transmitted light of different substances has different wavelengths and spectra, but the human eye can only receive a limited number of specific wavelengths of light, so it cannot transcend the "color palette" of the "three primary colors" of red, green, and blue. Academician Zhang Jun's team at Beijing Institute of Technology has independently developed a real-time hyperspectral imaging device with 100 channels and millions of pixels, which can efficiently and intelligently detect more "primary colors" beyond the "primary colors". The relevant results were published in the international academic journal Nature on the 7th. What is the value of detecting the "primary color" of a substance? Professor Bian Liheng from Beijing Institute of Technology said that "primary colors" carry the intrinsic property information of matter. For example, pouring equal amounts of pure water and mineral water into two identical transparent glass cups, which cannot be distinguished by the naked eye alone, can be distinguished by the spectral difference of the transmitted light between the two, that is, the "primary color" difference. Due to its ability to detect finer resolutions and a wider range of wavelengths, hyperspectral imaging technology is the "golden eye" for detecting "primary colors". It utilizes the characteristic of "each substance shining brightly" to achieve "seeing through phenomena to see essence". The data generated by hyperspectral imaging is massive in scale. For a long time, this technology has mostly relied on complex optical systems composed of standing elements such as gratings and prisms. These systems are bulky, difficult to integrate, and have low resolution and light energy utilization efficiency. It is reported that the research team innovatively proposed the principle of photon multiplexing and established an on-chip spectral multiplexing sensing architecture. Through interdisciplinary research such as materials, electronics, optics, and computer science, they finally developed a hyperspectral real-time imaging device weighing only tens of grams, with over a hundred spectral channels and millions of pixels. The utilization rate of light energy has been greatly improved from the typical less than 25.0% to 74.8%, enhancing the sensitivity and accuracy of hyperspectral imaging. From remote sensing satellite detection equipment to mobile phone cameras, new applications can be developed based on this principle. Aim the corresponding camera at a target, and the reflected spectrum of the target will be received. The intelligent system automatically compares the spectral information in the database to label the composition of the target substance. It has universal detection capability. A device can detect whether there are heavy metals in the water environment, whether food has spoiled, and whether human blood oxygen and blood glucose indicators are normal, etc., reducing detection costs and improving detection efficiency Bian Liheng said. Zhang Jun stated that this research has opened up a new field of on-chip optics research and provided new ideas for the future development of intelligent optoelectronic devices. The research results are expected to promote innovative development in fields such as satellite remote sensing, deep space exploration, environmental monitoring, smart healthcare, and social governance. (New Society)