diff --git a/matlab/harminv.m b/matlab/harminv.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3bfacd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matlab/harminv.m
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+function [f,decay,Q,amp,phase,err]=harminv( timeseries, timestep, start_freq, stop_freq )
+% [f,decay,Q,amp,phase,err]=harminv( timeseries, timestep, start_freq, stop_freq )
+%
+% reconstruct time signal with:
+% real(amp(n) * exp(-1i*(2*pi*freq(n)*t-phase(n))-decay(n)*t)));
+%
+% example:
+% t = linspace(0,(1/0.3e9)*5,1000);
+% u =     0.8 * sin(2*pi*0.7e9 * t + 0/180*pi);
+% u = u + 0.3 * sin(2*pi*0.3e9 * t + 0/180*pi);
+% [freq,decay,Q,amp,phase,err]=harminv( u, t(2)-t(1), 0, 1e9 );
+%
+% -----------------------
+% Sebastian Held <sebastian.held@gmx.de>
+
+
+%harminv_exe = '../../../harminv/harminv';
+harminv_exe = 'harminv';
+options = ['-t ' num2str(timestep)];
+tmpfile = tempname;
+
+% convert to column vector
+if size(timeseries,2) > size(timeseries,1)
+    timeseries = timeseries.';
+end
+
+% harminv hangs if timeseries is zero only
+if all(timeseries == 0)
+    disp( 'timeseries is 0' );
+    return
+end
+
+% write timeseries to temporary file
+dlmwrite( tmpfile, timeseries );
+
+command = [harminv_exe ' ' options ' '...
+           num2str(start_freq) '-' num2str(stop_freq) ' < ' tmpfile];
+[status,result] = system( command );
+if status ~= 0
+    disp( 'error executing harminv:' );
+    disp( command );
+    disp( ['exit status: ' num2str(status)] );
+    disp( ['output: ' result] );
+    return
+end
+
+%disp( command )
+%disp( result )
+
+f = [];
+decay = [];
+Q = [];
+amp = [];
+phase = [];
+err = [];
+
+pos = 1;
+while pos < length(result)
+    result = result(pos:end);
+    [C,pos] = textscan( result, '%f', 6, 'Delimiter', ',', 'HeaderLines', 1 );
+    if isempty(C{1}), break; end
+    if C{1}(1) >= 0
+        f     = [f C{1}(1)];
+        decay = [decay C{1}(2)];
+        Q     = [Q C{1}(3)];
+        amp   = [amp 2*C{1}(4)]; % neglecting negative frequencies => amplitude doubles
+        phase = [phase C{1}(5)];
+        err   = [err C{1}(6)];
+    end
+end