Rare-earth doped selenides active waveguides for integrated mid-infrared sensing applications
Résumé
Mid-infrared (mid-IR) absorption spectroscopic techniques can provide inherent molecular selectivity and reach very low detection limits. They have therefore found applications in environmental, health or security domains. In parallel to the growing demand for the detection of traces molecules, the development of compact sensors is also urged to extend the operational range of these sensors to on-site measurements. Sophisticated on-chip mid-IR transducers have been implemented using different integrated optical platforms (Si, Ge, SiNx, arsenides, chalcogenides…). However, despite the versatility of light sources spanning the whole mid-IR (synchrotron, globar, optical parametric oscillator, quantum/interband cascade laser (QCL/ICL) or supercontinuum sources), on-chip integration of mid-IR broadband light sources still remains a challenge. In particular, integrated broadband light sources and amplifiers operating in the 3-5 µm window would be of great interest as this spectral range overlaps an Earth’s atmosphere transmission window and strong characteristic vibrational transitions displayed by chemical molecules such as hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide