Compact, Field-Portable Smartphone Chiral Molecule Concentration Estimation System via Multi-sensor Computational Polarimetry

Abstract

In this paper, we present a compact, field-portable smartphone chiral
molecule concentration estimation system based on the principle
of multi-sensor computational polarimetry. The presented system
was designed as an attachment for a smartphone, thus leveraging
the computational power to achieve full autonomy and small
form factor, while greatly reducing the cost of the system. In addition,
by leveraging Maul’s Law, the size and complexity of the
presented system can be greatly reduced, consisting of just four
static components: i) a diode laser source, ii) a linear polariser, iii)
a cell for chiral solution, and iv) a linear analyser. Finally, the high
megapixel count of the smartphone camera is leveraged via multisensor
computational polarimetry, where a multitude of measurements
by different sensors are made in a single acquisition to enhance
the estimation of the angle of linear polarisation, and thereby
enhance the estimation of the concentration of chiral molecules in
solution. Such a system can have potential for enabling low-cost,
mobile chiral molecule concentration analysis, which would be wellsuited
for a wide range of industrial and clinical applications where
field testing or on-site testing is required.