Photonic devices for monitoring greenhouse gases and other environmental contaminants in air and water

用于监测空气和水中的温室气体和其他环境污染物的光子器件

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04144
• 负责人: Meldrum, Alkiviathes
• 金额: $ 2.84万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=762538
• 关键词: Photonic; devices; monitoring; greenhouse; gases

Optical sensing methods are rapidly expanding throughout the high-tech endeavor. From automobile LIDARs to measuring the ripeness of fruit, the opportunity for development and growth of optical sensing technologies is enormous. In our work, we seek to employ optical methods for sensing specific compounds of importance to human health and the environment. We will first develop cost-effective, durable, and sensitive systems for detection of methane and CO2, two of the most important greenhouse gases. Accurate and low-cost technologies are needed in urban and rural areas to monitor overall background GHG levels, in order to determine emission sources, allow fast responses, find general trends, evaluate whether environmental commitments are met, and even to appraise new sources of these critically important gases. For water too, there is a need to measure a host of impurities at the levels required by Health Canada, especially on-site in remote and rural communities. But there is currently no simple technology that can actually do all this, and most methods are expensive, time consuming, and require trained laboratory personnel. We will work with industrial collaborators on optical devices that can detect impurities at the sub ppm levels required for most contaminants, while focusing on cost and ease of use for practical deployment. The work will involve experimental methods in optics and laser technologies. The development of light-emitting materials includes nanoparticles (e.g., silicon nanocrystals) and thin films for near and mid-IR lasers and durable multilayer materials for high-reflectivity in the mid-IR including gold nanoparticles in robust high-k dielectrics and metallic-dielectric multilayers. These material properties will be applied to form key components of mid-IR sensor technologies. Microphotonic detection systems also will require design and optimization of mid-IR optical waveguide technologies that could include on-board light sources and detectors. We work with several local companies specializing in environmental sensing and the development of mid-infrared light sources and lasers. The main theme of our work is in optics and photonics - the development of both "macro" and "micro" photonics systems that can be deployed in the near term, in real world environments outside the laboratory. The main technologies are associated with optical emitters and detectors, which need to be sensitive and durable, and in the data analysis methods.

光学传感方法在整个高科技努力中迅速扩展。从汽车圈到测量果实的成熟度，光学传感技术的发展和增长机会是巨大的。在我们的工作中，我们试图采用光学方法来感知对人类健康和环境重要性的特定化合物。我们将首先开发具有成本效益，耐用和敏感的系统，用于检测甲烷和CO2，这是两种最重要的温室气体。在城市和农村地区需要准确和低成本的技术来监控整体背景温室气体水平，以确定排放源，允许快速响应，找到一般趋势，评估是否满足环境承诺，甚至可以评估这些承诺的新来源至关重要的气体。对于水，也有必要在加拿大卫生部所需的水平上测量许多杂质，尤其是在偏远和农村社区的现场。但是目前没有简单的技术实际上可以做所有这一切，而且大多数方法都是昂贵，耗时的，并且需要训练有素的实验室人员。我们将与工业合作者在光学设备上合作，可以在大多数污染物所需的子PPM水平上检测杂质，同时着重于成本和易于使用的实际部署。这项工作将涉及光学和激光技术的实验方法。发光材料的开发包括纳米颗粒（例如，硅纳米晶体）和用于近红外激光器的薄膜和薄膜以及耐用的多层材料，用于中IR中的高反射性，包括在强大的高量高电介质和金属 - 金属 - 含量和金属 - - 金属 - 纳米颗粒中介电多层。这些材料特性将应用于形成MID-IR传感器技术的关键组件。微电体检测系统还将需要设计和优化MID-IR光学波导技术，其中可能包括板载光源和检测器。我们与一些专门从事环境感应以及中红外光源和激光的开发的本地公司合作。我们作品的主题是光学和光子学 - “宏”和“微型”光子系统的开发，这些系统可以在实验室外的现实世界环境中在现实世界环境中部署。主要技术与光学发射器和检测器相关联，需要敏感和耐用，并且在数据分析方法中。