Project description
Crystals provide a coat of armour for highly sensitive nanophotonic sensors
Electronics that harness the movement of electrons are increasingly being integrated with and even replaced by photonics devices that exploit the properties of packets of light or photons. Nanophotonics focuses on the interactions of photons with nano-sized structures, offering opportunities to control light in the sub-wavelength regime for improved sensing and imaging capabilities. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GRAIL project is developing a 3D nanofabrication process to embed highly sensitive nanophotonic sensors in crystals that can withstand harsh environmental conditions. The project’s single-frequency nanophotonic lasers will be embedded inside resistant crystals for action in extreme environments, including extreme weather events associated with climate change, or future nuclear fusion reactors.
Objective
At a time when the climate emergency and an ever growing energy-demanding population are major issues facing the world, it is clearer than ever that new integrated sensing technologies are needed to: (1) locally adapt to climate change (by monitoring and preventing environmental catastrophes) and (2) globally mitigate it (by developing the future greener technologies which will require from advanced self-monitoring system integrated sensors).
State-of-the-art heterogeneous silicon photonics or plasmonics cannot withstand real-world environments and must be carefully protected; this leading to the question: Will it be possible to foresee a nanophotonic technology capable of withstanding extreme environments?
GRAIL will explore a new 3D nanofabrication approach for embedding monolithic nanophotonic sensors inside harsh-environment resistant crystals, such as for example in the protective layer of a smart watch or on unmanned vehicles and remote monitoring systems.
GRAIL is meant to develop novel single-frequency nanophotonic lasers (SFL) for future extreme-environment resistant sensors. This new type of laser will merge for the 1st time concepts from so far disconnected optical fields: photonic crystal fibers, semiconductor lasers, and rare-earth doped solid-state lasers. This leap will be enabled by the 3D-laser nanofabrication process recently discovered by the Host Supervisor, as well as by the expertise of the ER in SFLs for next-generation gravitational-wave detectors. GRAIL will also tackle the transfer of this technology to an award-winning EU-company on ultrafast laser fabrication.
GRAIL will provide a high-quality training to the ER in nanophotonics, 3D-laser nanolithography, IPR & technology transfer whereas the Host will greatly benefit from the creation of a new international research field. The EU Industrial Partner will benefit from acquiring first-hand knowledge on the innovative SFL nanophotonic technology, an its mass-produccion studies.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-processes
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physicsultrafast lasers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynanophotonics
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinator
38200 SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA
Spain