Project description
Next generation environmental monitoring technology
Pollution poses a significant threat to both our air and water. Unfortunately, traditional monitoring methods fall short in delivering the precision that is required. A solution to this escalating environmental crisis demands a breakthrough in monitoring technology. With this in mind, the EU-funded COMPAS project will develop a compact and cost-effective Photonics Integrated Circuit Sensing Platform (PSP) to revolutionise air and water monitoring with unprecedented sensitivity and efficiency. Overall, COMPAS aims to address the shortcomings of current monitoring systems, offering a compact, affordable, and ultra-sensitive solution to revolutionise environmental surveillance. It holds the potential to redefine environmental monitoring, aligning with the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition.
Objective
The main objective of COMPAS is to develop a compact, inexpensive and ultrasensitive PIC sensing platform (PSP) for air and water monitoring, relying on the co-integration of light source, detectors and electronic IC for on-chip signal processing.
The PIC sensor principle will be based on interference between two guided light modes, one of which interacts with analytes and the other being a reference. The resulting intensity changes offers excellent sensitivity to changes in concentration of analytes in air or solution. Multiple light paths can be placed on the same device offering multi-analyte sensing in an ultracompact device. COMPAS builds a first-of-a-kind fully integrated system around this principle (including light source, detectors and signal processing). The COMPAS PSP begins at TRL2 and will end with TRL5 validation in relevant environment by end-users towards air and water monitoring.
The project will
- Define sensing parameters for validating developed PIC Sensor Platform (PSP) towards three use-cases in relevant environments, being in line with the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition
- Develop core photonic technology for implementing photonic based sensing. These include a novel photonic IC material system (Aliminium Nitride), BiModal waveguide interferometers that show superior temperature stability and sensitivity, novel material coating systems for enhanced sensing selectivity and innovative nano structured metasurfaces for novel mode engineering for increased sensitivity and optimized light coupling to facilitate the use of low power laser diodes.
- Develop a Chiplet approach to co-integration of photonic sensor with microelectronic IC and photodetectors, and a coherent light-source. This will combine heterogeneous integration of a laser light source and monolithically integrated photodetector in the silicon base material.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsignal processing
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicsmicroelectronics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
7034 Trondheim
Norway