Abstract

We demonstrate a novel method to spectroscopically detect and identify trace gases. Micromechanical photothermal spectroscopy (MPS) with functionalized sorbent materials provides trace gas spectra in an optical interaction length of only a few micrometers. We use microcavity interferometry to read out displacements as low as $25\mathrm{fm}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$, heating as low as $200\mathrm{pW}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$, and analyte concentrations as low as 65 parts-per-billion for the nerve agent simulant DMMP. MPS integrated with functional materials represents an important new tool in chip-scale optical sensing.

Trace gas absorption spectroscopy using functionalized microring resonators

Todd H. Stievater, Marcel W. Pruessner, Doewon Park, William S. Rabinovich, R. Andrew McGill, Dmitry A. Kozak, Robert Furstenberg, Scott A. Holmstrom, and Jacob B. Khurgin
Opt. Lett. 39(4) 969-972 (2014)

Trace gas Raman spectroscopy using functionalized waveguides

Scott A. Holmstrom, Todd H. Stievater, Dmitry A. Kozak, Marcel W. Pruessner, Nathan Tyndall, William S. Rabinovich, R. Andrew McGill, and Jacob B. Khurgin
Optica 3(8) 891-896 (2016)

Photonic microharp chemical sensors

T. H. Stievater, W. S. Rabinovich, M. S. Ferraro, N. A. Papanicolaou, R. Bass, J. B. Boos, J. L. Stepnowski, and R. A. McGill
Opt. Express 16(4) 2423-2430 (2008)

Waveguide-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of trace chemical warfare agent simulants

Nathan F. Tyndall, Todd H. Stievater, Dmitry A. Kozak, Kee Koo, R. Andrew McGill, Marcel W. Pruessner, William S. Rabinovich, and Scott A. Holmstrom
Opt. Lett. 43(19) 4803-4806 (2018)

Sagnac interferometer for photothermal deflection spectroscopy

Naoyuki Shiokawa, Yuki Mizuno, Harumasa Tsuchiya, and Eiji Tokunaga
Opt. Lett. 37(13) 2655-2657 (2012)