Small and simple: next-generation miniaturized diffraction-based spectrometer with computational reconstruction algorithms.

An ultra-simple and miniaturized spectrometer using an arbitrarily shaped pinhole as diffraction element reconstructs a broadband spectrum from the information of diffraction of monochromatic radiation by clever computational reconstruction algorithms. This circumvents complex calibration procedures and paves the way to cost-effective on-chip spectrometers combining fast acquisition without significant loss in spectral resolution.