We review our recent results on integration of lasers, detectors and microfluidic channels on silicon and germanium based mid-infrared photonic circuits, as well as initial sensing experiments for medical and gas sensing applications. Wideband devices, such as waveguides, couplers, splitters and detectors are required for mid-IR absorption spectroscopy. We show that such Si and Ge devices can operate over large spectral bands.
We present the development of SOI waveguides with low-loss (~1.5 dB/cm) single-moded guidance over an octave of frequency. Broadband single-moded guidance is needed for on-chip mid-infrared spectroscopy and this cannot be provided by conventional waveguide geometries in standard material platforms. The reported waveguides require a simple fabrication process flow and will be widely applicable to different mid-infrared wavelength bands for a variety of sensing applications. We further present a low-loss bend design (0.179 ± 0.031 dB/90°) that overcomes the inherently large bending loss of the waveguides, which is a limiting factor in the utility of the waveguides. We consider different prospective designs for the use of these waveguides in a circuit for a sensing device.
We present the development of Ge-on-Si waveguide-based devices for low-noise mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy of aqueous solutions, targeting wavelengths between 6 and 10 μm, that are able to reduce the relative intensity noise which is a key roadblock when measuring tiny analyte absorptions masked by a large background matrix absorption. The sensor uses a pair of integrated thermo-optic switches to continuously switch light between a reference waveguide and a sensor waveguide, so that common noise components can be cancelled out, even when the light source and photodetector are not integrated on the same chip.
Rifampicin is an antimicrobial drug used to treat tuberculosis. The deterioration of a tuberculosis patient on rifampicin is a serious event with several possible causes. Rapid bedside measurement of rifampicin would enable clinicians to determine if patient deterioration was due to subtherapeutic levels and quickly correct the dosing. It would also support personalised dosing to maximise antimicrobial effectiveness whilst minimising side effects. The optimum therapeutic concentration range is 8 – 24 mg/L. We report ATR-FTIR spectroscopy data for the detection of rifampicin for bedside therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). We demonstrate a limit of detection of 0.46 mg/L from 20 μL spiked whole blood samples. Using whole blood directly enables bedside measurements because it does not require centrifugation and pipetting to extract plasma, which are generally performed in a central laboratory. The absorption-concentration response had good linearity (R2 = 0.998) up to the highest measured concentration of 100 mg/L. We apply this data to the design of a miniaturised mid-infrared sensor for TDM using silicon photonics. We present an analysis of the optimum interaction length for an evanescent waveguide sensor using the absorption of rifampicin and a numerical model to quantify the contributions of different system and device noise sources. These sensors can be made more sensitive than their benchtop equivalent because of the enhanced evanescent electric field strength and the increased power spectral density of tunable quantum cascade lasers.
We review our recent results on modulators and detectors for the 2μm range, which may become very relevant for future communications, and on the development of mid-IR broadband devices for sensing applications. We show Mach-Zehnder and Michelson based modulators operating at data rates up to 25 Gb/s and Ge based detectors operating up to 12.5 Gb/s. For longer wavelengths relevant for sensing applications, we present broadband waveguides and splitters, waveguide integrated bolometers, and the realisation of a mid-infrared sensor.
In this work, potential ways of accessing a greater spectral range at mid-infrared (MIR) wavelength ranges in silicon photonics are explored, in particular for sensing applications that use on-chip spectroscopy. To utilise the full low-loss transmission of silicon, silicon membranes are transfer printed onto MIR-transparent substrates for waveguides with no absorption from the substrate. A Y-junction splitter with low loss across a
1 µm optical bandwidth is also designed and experimentally demonstrated.
The 16th May 2018 marks the first annual International Day of Light (IDL). The steering committee of the IDL initiative encouraged grassroots activities to increase the awareness and understanding of the applications of light. One such undertaking is the program of events developed by the postgraduate students of the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton (UoS). The program focused on engaging with the public and local schools with low levels of progression to higher education. Three events were designed: an outreach masterclass, combining activities and demonstrations from well-established workshops covering light in telecommunications, manufacturing and medicine; an art competition in a local school, for students to express scientific knowledge in a creative way; and a public panel, to explore the uses of light in a multitude of disciplines and open academic research to a broader audience. This paper explains how the events built on the ORC students’ long history of outreach and the legacy of the International Year of Light. Each event is outlined in detail, explaining the objectives and the rationale behind the audience selection. The program outcomes are described, including the impact, the methods employed and the utilization of expert partners to increase the program reach (commercial media, local schools and UoS’s diversity and inclusion outreach department), and the lessons learned from the program are assessed. These experiences can be used to recycle and adapt this format for other grassroots IDL programs. This project received funding through a SPIE IDL Micro Grant.
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