Article: NIR Trends: The Growing Impact Of Light

The interaction between an electromagnetic wave and a material can tell us a great deal about the chemistry and physical makeup of the material in question. We are all familiar with this interaction — for example, visible light in electromagnetic wavelengths reflects off plant leaves and enters our eye as green light, due to absorption of other wavelengths by the dominant photosynthesis chemical, chlorophyll. Fewer people, however, are aware that wavelengths in the infrared (IR) bands are also being used for product quality control and the detection of health problems.