Objective Sensitivity of on-chip gas sensors is still at least 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than what is needed for applications in atmospheric monitoring and climate research. For optical sensors, this comes as a natural consequence of miniaturization: sensitivity scales with interaction length, which is directly related to instrument size. The aim of this project is to explore a new concept of combined chemical and spectroscopic detection for on-chip sensing of methane, the principal component of natural gas and a potent climate forcer.The sought-after sensitivity will be achieved by pre-concentrating gas molecules directly on a chip surface using cryptophanes, and subsequently detecting them using slow-light waveguides and mid-infrared laser absorption spectroscopy. Cryptophanes are macromolecular structures that can bind and thus pre-concentrate different small molecules, including methane. Spectroscopic detection of methane in a cryptophane host is an absolute novelty, and, if successful, it will not only contribute to unprecedented sensitivity enhancement, but will also address fundamental questions about the dynamics of small molecules upon encapsulation. The actual gas sensing will be realized using evanescent field interaction in photonic crystal waveguides, which exhibit both large evanescent field confinement and long effective interaction pathlengths due to the slow-light effect. The waveguide design alone is expected to improve the per-length sensitivity up to 10 times, while another 10 to 100-fold sensitivity enhancement is expected from the pre-concentration. The targeted detection limit of 10 ppb will revolutionize current methods of atmospheric monitoring, enabling large-scale networks of integrated sensors for better quantification of global methane emissions. Beyond that, this method can be extended to the detection of other gases, e.g. CO2 and different volatile organic compounds with equally relevant applications in the medical domain. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsoptical sensorsnatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryvolatile organic compoundsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopyabsorption spectroscopynatural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compoundsnatural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2017-STG - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2017-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Coordinator UNIVERSITETET I TROMSOE - NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET Net EU contribution € 1 499 749,00 Address Hansine hansens veg 14 9019 Tromso Norway See on map Region Norge Nord-Norge Troms og Finnmark Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITETET I TROMSOE - NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET Norway Net EU contribution € 1 499 749,00 Address Hansine hansens veg 14 9019 Tromso See on map Region Norge Nord-Norge Troms og Finnmark Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
