Miniaturized mid-IR spectroscopy for gas sensors
IR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for multi-gas analysis. While conventional sensors are based on the use of filters, spectrometers or tuneable lasers, the MIREGAS project has introduced breakthrough components that can be integrated for multi-gas analysis. New technology developed during the project allows a more precise discrimination between light wavelengths, which allows a gas sensor to exclude interfering gas components.
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd coordinated the programme and provided Si PICs as well as photonics packaging and integration technologies. The Optoelectronics Research Centre at the Tampere University of Technology in Finland was responsible for developing innovative superluminescent LEDs, ITME (PL) for mouldable Mid-IR lenses and VIGO (PL) for Mid-IR detectors. Industrial partners Vaisala (FI), AirOptic (PL) and GasSecure (NO) brought their competences in the areas of gas sensing and Mid-IR sensor fabrication, and at the same time, validated the technologies developed by the consortium.
In particular, the main advances concerned the development of novel superluminescent LEDs for 2.65µm wavelength, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) with 1nm bandwidth for spectral filtering at Mid-IR, hot-embossed Mid-IR lenses for beam forming and photodetectors for 2 to 3µm wavelengths.
Silicon photonics PIC technology that was originally developed for optical communication applications allows for the miniaturization of the sensor. The components entail important benefits in terms of cost, volume production and reliability.
The components developed by the consortium enable miniaturized integrated sensors with important benefits in terms of cost, volume production and reliability, which are instrumental features for the wide penetration of gas sensing applications.
“At the start of the project, Mid-IR SLED technology targeting high-brightness and broadband operation was simply not existing. MIREGAS enabled important scientific breakthrough; in fact, the project results represent the state-of-the-art both in terms of power and wavelength coverage. Yet, what it is maybe the most important, contributed to creating a new European ecosystem based on combined expertise in Mid-IR optoelectronics and Si-photonics. We are just at the start of many other applications we will target with this powerful combination of technologies”, explained Prof. Mircea Guina, the head of ORC team at Tampere University.
“VTT’s Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) based Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) technology owns two unique features: Firstly, in addition to the conventional optical communications wavelengths at 1550 nm, it is applicable for Mid-IR wavelengths; Secondly, it allows for the integration of active devices, such as, laser diodes or photodetectors, directly on the PIC chip. Therefore, the SOI PIC technology is very attractive for gas sensing and sensor integration, in general. In the MIREGAS project, we were able to take this offering to the next level together with the beneficiaries”, VTT project coordinator Pentti Karioja added.
VTT – www.vtt.fi
More about the MIREGAS project – www.H2020-MIREGAS.eu
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