Research Topics

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Silicon based integrated optical gas sensing

Research Area: Silicon photonics for lab-on-chip spectroscopy , Silicon photonics for biomedical applications

Main Researcher: Nebiyu Yebo

Silicon micro-/nano-photonics is emerging as an attractive technology for a wide range of industrial, environmental and scientific applications. Optical devices fabricated on silicon platform support a number of features potentially capable of solving current limitations in various application areas. One of the applications where silicon photonic devices have recently gained considerable attention is integrated optical bio-chemical and gas sensing. Taking advantage of a high index contrast material system and the well-established CMOS fabrication technology, highly compact and low cost sensors as well as sensor array can be fabricated.
On the other hand, the interest for highly portable , easy to use , low cost , selective and sensitive gas sensors has always been increasing in various environmental , industrial and medical applications. Despite the fact that a number of technologies exist for gas sensing, most of them suffer from limitations one way or another. In fact , no single technology satisfying the requirements for portable, multiplexed and selective gas detection exists currently.
The main goal of this project is to investigate and establish routes for selective, sensitive and multiplexed gas detection on silicon photonic chips. We have been investigating two alternative approaches to achieve this goal. Refractive index sensing with the aid of chemical films on silicon photonic circuits , and on-chip gas spectroscopy are the two techniques being studied.
Hydrogen and ethanol gas sensors based on silicon microring resonator are among our successful demonstrations. We have also developed on-chip interrogation technique for microring gas sensors where by indicating opportunities for low cost and compact gas sensing system. Currently, investigations are going on to further advance our sensors for highly selective, sensitive and portable gas sensing applications.

Other people involved:

Related Research Projects

IWT-SBO: CheckPack (Integrated optical sensors in food packaging to simultaneously detect early-spoilage and check package integrity)
ERC-PoC: FireSpec (Integrated spectroscopic sensors for the risk assessment of fires)

PhD thesises
Nebiyu Yebo, Gassensoren op basis van geïntegreerde optische circuits in silicium , Silicon Based Integrated Optical Gas Sensing , (12/2012)
Sanja Radosavljevic, Thermisch afstembare filters op basis van germanium-op-silicium en germanium-op-silicium-op-isolator voor golflengteselectie van kwantumcascadelasers, Germanium-on-Silicon and Germanium-on-Silicon-on-Insulator Thermally Tunable Filters for Wavelength Selection of Quantum Cascade Lasers, (2/2020)
Anton Vasiliev, Spectroscopische gassensoren gebaseerd op silicium-fotonica, Silicon Photonics Spectroscopic Trace Gas Sensors , (3/2020)
Mattias Verstuyft, Een op siliciumfotonica gebaseerde terahertz foto-akoestische gassensor, A Silicon Photonics Based Terahertz Photoacoustic Gas Sensor, (12/2023)
Publications
International Journals

Y. Li, Claudio Bellani, N.A Yebo, Jolien Dendooven, Jin Won Seo, Christophe Detavernier, R. Baets, Johan A. Martens, Sreeprasanth Pulinthanathu Sree, Nanoporous Silica-Alumina Films Fabricated on Silicon Photonic Chips for Selective Ammonia Sensing, ACS Applied Nano Materials, 5(11), p.16126-16135 doi:10.1021/acsanm.2c02741 (2022)  .
X. Jia, J. Roels, R. Baets, G. Roelkens, A Miniaturised, Fully Integrated NDIR CO2 Sensor On-Chip, Sensors, 21(16), p.5347 (14 pages) doi:10.3390/s21165347 (2021)  .
X. Jia, J. Roels, R. Baets, G. Roelkens, On-Chip Non-Dispersive Infrared CO2 Sensor Based On an Integrating Cylinder, Sensors, 19(19), p.1-14 doi:10.3390/s19194260 (2019)  .
A. Vasiliev, A. Malik, M. Muneeb, B. Kuyken, R. Baets, G. Roelkens, On-Chip Mid-Infrared Photothermal Spectroscopy using Suspended Silicon-on-Insulator Microring Resonators, ACS Sensors, 1(11), p.1301-1307 doi:10.1021/acssensors.6b00428 (2016).
M. Muneeb, X. Chen, P. Verheyen, G. Lepage, S. Pathak, E.M.P. Ryckeboer, A. Malik, B. Kuyken, M. Nedeljkovic, J. Van Campenhout, G. Mashanovich, G. Roelkens, Demonstration of silicon on insulator mid-infrared spectrometers operating at 3.8um, Optics Express, 21(10), p.11659-11669 doi:10.1364/OE.21.011659 (2013)  .
N.A Yebo, W. Bogaerts, Z. Hens, R. Baets, On-Chip Arrayed Waveguide Grating Interrogated Silicon-on-Insulator Microring Resonator Based Gas Sensor, Photonics Technology Letters, 23(15), p.1505-1507 doi:10.1109/LPT.2011.2162825 (2011)  .
N.A Yebo, P. Lommens, Z. Hens, R. Baets, An integrated optic ethanol vapor sensor based on a silicon-on-insulator microring resonator coated with a porous ZnO film, Optics Express, 18(11), p.11859-11866 doi:10.1364/oe.18.011859 (2010)  .
N.A Yebo, D. Taillaert, J. Roels, D. Lahem, M. Debliquy, D. Van Thourhout, R. Baets, Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Ring Resonator-Based Integrated Optical Hydrogen Sensor, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 21(14), p.960-962 doi:10.1109/lpt.2009.2021073 (2009)  .

International Conferences

X. Jia, G. Roelkens, R. Baets, Roels Joris, A Miniaturized Non-Dispersive Infrared CO2 Sensor Based On a 2D Integrating Cylinder , Optical Sensors and Sensing congress, United States, p.paper STu3C.5 doi:10.1364/sensors.2019.stu3c.5 (2019)  .
M. Verstuyft, E. Akiki, B. Walter, M. Faucher, M. Vanwolleghem, B. Kuyken, An Integrated Photoacoustic Terahertz Gas Sensor, 2019 44th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), France, doi:10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2019.8873764 (2018).
R. Wang, S. Sprengel, G. Boehm, R. Baets, M.-C. Amann, G. Roelkens, Widely tunable III-V-on-silicon Vernier lasers operating in the 2.3 um wavelength range, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics 2018 (invited), United States, p.paper STh1B.3 (2 pages) doi:10.1364/cleo_si.2018.sth1b.3 (2018)  .
A. Vasiliev, M. Muneeb, A. Ruocco, A. Malik, H. Chen, M. Nedeljkovic, J. Soler-Penades, L. Cerutti, J. B. Rodriguez, G. Z. Mashanovich, M. K. Smit, E. Tournié, G. Roelkens, 3.8 μm Heterogeneously Integrated III-V on Silicon Micro-Spectrometer, 18th European Conference in Integrated Optics 2016 (ECIO), Poland, p.paper ECIO/p-24 (2016)  .
S. Selvaraja, P. De Heyn, G. Winroth, P. Ong, G. Lepage, C. Cailler, A. Rigny, K. Bourdelle, W. Bogaerts, D. Van Thourhout, J. Van Campenhout, P. Absil, Highly uniform and low-loss passive silicon photonics devices using a 300mm CMOS platform, Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OF2014), United States, p.Th2A.33 doi:10.1364/ofc.2014.th2a.33 (2014)  .
R. Baets, A. Subramanian, A. Dhakal, S. Selvaraja, K. Komorowska, F. Peyskens, E.M.P. Ryckeboer, N.A Yebo, G. Roelkens, N. Le Thomas, Spectroscopy-on-chip applications of silicon photonics, Photonics West (invited), 8627(01), United States, p.86270I-1 - 86270I-10 doi:10.1117/12.2010498 (2013)  .
N.A Yebo, W. Bogaerts, Hens, Zeger, R. Baets, On-chip interrogation of a silicon-on-insulator microring resonator based ethanol vapor sensor with an arrayed waveguide grating(AWG) spectrometer, SPIE Photonics West 2012, United States, doi:10.1117/12.907301 (2012)  .
National Conferences

N.A Yebo, Zege Hens, R. Baets, Integrated opitcal gas sensors on silicon-on-insulator platform , 11th FirW Doctoraatssymposium, Belgium, p.41 (2010)  .
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