The Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT Ltd and Tampere University of Technology, together with European partners, have developed novel components for miniaturized gas sensors exploiting the principle of Mid-IR absorption spectroscopy. The main advances concerned the development of novel super-luminescent LEDs for 2.65-µm wavelength Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) with 1-nm bandwidth for spectral filtering at Mid-IR, hot-embossed Mid-IR lenses for beam forming and photodetectors for 2- to -µm wavelengths. Silicon photonics PIC technology that was originally developed for optical communication applications allows for the miniaturization of the sensor.
IR spectroscopy is believed to be a powerful tool for multi-gas analysis. Conventional sensors are based on the use of filters, spectrometers or tuneable lasers. The European project, has introduced components that enable multi-gas analysis using an integrated solution. Moreover, using the new technology, the wavelengths of light can be filtered more precisely, and interfering gas components can be excluded. For additional information, contact Dr. Pentti Karioja, Project Coordinator via email at [email protected] and also visit the project page.