Chinese researchers have achieved a groundbreaking advancement in spectroscopic imaging, developing a technique that combines exceptional resolution with a panoramic view, revolutionizing the way the universe is scanned. Named RAFAEL (Yuheng in Chinese), this innovative technology, created by a team from Tsinghua University, is compact enough to fit on a chip the size of a mobile phone SIM card. The study, published in the prestigious journal Nature, highlights the chip’s ability to capture full spectral data with sub-angstrom resolution for approximately 10,000 stars per second. Professor Fang Lu, the lead researcher, emphasized that this technology could reduce the time required to compile complete spectra for all stars in the Milky Way from thousands of years to under a decade. The chip’s miniaturized design also makes it suitable for mounting on satellites or deep-space probes, paving the way for unprecedented spectral maps of the universe. The core innovation lies in resolving the long-standing trade-off between resolution and field breadth in spectral imaging. By employing advanced computational imaging methods and reconfigurable integrated photonics based on lithium niobate, the team achieved snapshot spectroscopy with ten-megapixel-level spatial resolution and sub-angstrom spectral resolution across visible and near-infrared wavelengths. This breakthrough significantly surpasses existing international counterparts, improving spectral resolution by two orders of magnitude. The technology’s practical applications extend beyond astronomy to fields such as material identification, plant health, autonomous driving, and atomic spectroscopy. Efforts are underway to implement the technique on giant telescopes at observatories in China and Spain. Professor Fang described the study as a beginning, showcasing how intelligent photonics can continue to push the boundaries of what light can reveal.