Sensors to improve the detection of combat gases

[Press release] - Published on November 7, 2023 in Press Room

Thanks to the work of the NanoMIR team at the Institute of Electronics and Systems (IES, CNRS/University of Montpellier), new optical semiconductor sensors have been developed. These sensors improve the sensitivity of combat gas detection. This work opens up innovative prospects for using or refining gas detection in many fields: military, of course, but also environmental, agronomic, food, and security.

The objectives and results of this work

To effectively detect dangerous gases associated with armed conflicts, particularly nerve agents such as sarin, a collaboration between the Institute of Electronics and Systems (IES, CNRS/University of Montpellier) and the Nanomaterials for Systems under Extreme Conditions Laboratory (NS3E, ISL/University of Strasbourg) has led to the development of an optical sensor based on semiconductors (insulating materials that can be made electrically conductive).

Infrared absorption spectroscopy is a powerful technique for identifying molecules within a sample, but it has limitations in terms of sensitivity at low concentrations. To solve this problem, Pierre Fehlen and his team designed a new type of optical sensor based on light/matter interactions: plasmonics. They integrated it into semiconductors operating in the mid-infrared range. Numerical simulations and analyses were performed for the design of the sensor. The plasmonic sensor was then successfully tested and demonstrated its selectivity with respect to the volatile gases used.

The results of this study offer a solution to the limitations of light-matter interactions in the detection of hazardous gases. It demonstrates the effectiveness of semiconductor-based plasmonics for the detection of complex molecules by infrared absorption. The next challenge is to improve the concept by miniaturizing the device and increasing the sensitivity of the transducer.

Keywords: Research, Science, Company