Objective
This project aims at pushing the limits of optical sensing on a microchip by orders of magnitude, thereby allowing for ultra-high sensitivity in optical detection and enabling first-time-ever demonstrations of several optical sensing principles on a microchip. My idea is based upon our distributed-feedback lasers in rare-earth-ion-doped aluminum oxide waveguides on a silicon chip with ultra-narrow linewidths of 1 kHz, corresponding to Q-factors exceeding 10^11, intra-cavity laser intensities of several watts over a waveguide cross-section of 2 micrometer, and light interaction lengths reaching 20 km. Optical read-out of the laser frequency and linewidth is achieved by frequency down-conversion via detection of the GHz beat signal of two such lasers positioned in the same waveguide or in parallel waveguides on the same microchip.
The sensitivity of optical detection is related to the laser linewidth, interaction length, and transverse mode overlap with the measurand; its potential of optically exciting ions or molecules and its optical trapping force are related to the laser intensity. By applying novel concepts, we will decrease the laser linewidth to 1 Hz (Q-factor > 10^14), thereby also significantly increasing the intra-cavity intensity and light interaction length, simplify the read-out by reducing the line-width separation between two lasers to the MHz regime, and increase the mode interaction with the environment by either increasing its evanescent field or perpendicularly intersecting a nanofluidic channel with the optical waveguide, thereby allowing for unprecedented sensitivity of optical detection on a microchip. We will exploit this dual-wavelength distributed-feedback laser sensor for the first-ever demonstrations of intra-laser-cavity (ILC) optical trapping and detection of nano-sized biological objects in an optofluidic chip, ILC trace-gas detection on a microchip, ILC Raman spectrometry on a microchip, and ILC spectroscopy of single rare-earth ions.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry metalloids
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2013-ADG
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
100 44 Stockholm
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.