Advances in Photonic Gas Sensors Operating in the VIS-NIR Spectrum: Structures, Materials, and Performance

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Chemical Sensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional gas monitoring methods face limitations in real-time accuracy and sensitivity.
• Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) offer a promising alternative due to high performance and miniaturization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art PIC-based gas sensors.
• To analyze different sensing mechanisms, material platforms, and device architectures.
• To discuss current limitations and future prospects, including AI integration.

Main Methods:

• Overview of resonance-based and absorption-based sensing principles.
• Detailed examination of material platforms: silicon, silicon nitride, polymers, chalcogenide glasses, and 2D materials.
• Comparison of device topologies: waveguides, microring resonators, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, and metasurfaces.

Main Results:

• PICs demonstrate high sensitivity and selectivity for hazardous gas detection.
• Performance benchmarks, including limit of detection (LoD), are compared across various PIC sensor designs.
• Various material platforms and device topologies show distinct advantages for specific applications.

Conclusions:

• PICs represent a significant advancement in gas sensing technology.
• Further research into novel materials and AI integration can lead to fully autonomous sensing devices.
• PIC gas sensors are crucial for environmental, industrial, and healthcare monitoring.