Trace gas sensors on a chip

Mid-Infrared (MIR) laser spectroscopy is a well-established technique for the detection of trace gases, i.e. gases that are found in the atmosphere at very low concentrations. It is inherently fast, non-invasive and undisputedly the most sensitive and selective. For these reasons, Mid-IR spectroscopy was also chosen by NASA as the most suitable technique to search for methane (and life) on Mars. The key problem is that current mid-infrared spectrometers are almost exclusively realized using free-space optics, and therefore remain large, heavy, and costly. 

The aim of my research is to bring the powerful mid-infrared spectroscopy on a photonic chip. In the first part of my talk, I will introduce the basic concepts and the state of the art of the method, focusing on the current trend of miniaturization and multi-species detection. The second part of the talk will be devoted to my own research towards on-chip trace gas sensing.

The talk will be given by Jana Jágerská, Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

 Jágerská recently received the highly prestigious European Research Council Starting Grant. The grant funds her project “Cryptophane-Enhanced Trace Gas Spectroscopy for On-Chip Methane Detection (sCENT) with up to 14 mill. NOK over a 5-year period.