Researchers at EPFL have come up with a new middle infrared light source that can detect greenhouse and other gases, as well as molecules in a person’s breath.
Researchers at EPFL have come up with a new middle infrared light source that can detect greenhouse and other gases, as well as molecules in a person’s breath. The compact system, which resembles a tiny suitcase, contains just two parts: a standard laser together with a photonic chip measuring a few millimeters across. The research is detailed in an article published in Nature Communications.
The mid-infrared spectrum is especially useful for scientists because, at this wavelength range, light can detect particles that play an important role in the environment and in human health. Until now, however, infrared laser systems have proven difficult to transport because they involve complex, damage-prone hardware.
The new technology, developed by researchers at EPFL, could be a game-changer. The team took a commercially available fiber laser and combined it with a micrometer waveguide chip to reliably generate light waves in the mid-infrared spectrum. They then added a spectrometer to demonstrate the potential of this light source, successfully detecting the presence and concentration of acetylene, a colorless and highly flammable gas.
Read more at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Image: Detecting pollution with a compact laser source. (Credit: Alain Herzog / EPFL)
