WP1: Environmental Sensing

This workpackage will develop a sensing system that uses the new lasers developed by MTU, POLIBA and UM in new QEPAS systems realised by UNIBA and a PTS system realised by TU-WIEN. The long wavelength QCLs will be used for BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene) detection at λ = ~13.365 μm, the DFB lasers, hybrid lasers and lasers on silicon for methane detection at λ = ~1.6 μm and 2.3 μm. Depending on the maturity of the technologies, one (or possibly more) device(s) will be chosen for tests at the partner organisations. Laboratory tests will be made for the others.

The work is broadly divided into three tasks: Task 1.1 will develop a compact shoe-box sized QEPAS platform suitable for portable real-world applications such as environmental monitoring; Task 1.2 will focus on BTEX detection using the developed QCLs; while Task 1.3 will target methane leak detection using very compact QEPAS systems for deployment on UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, i.e. drones).

WP1 Objectives

  • Realisation of BTEX and propane QEPAS and PTS sensors exploiting QCL sources operating in the 13-20 μm wavelength range and reaching parts per billion sensitivity ranges
  • Realisation of ultra-compact (below 1 dm3) QEPAS sensors implementing novel methods to couple near-IR lasers and acoustic detection module targeting UAV sensing applications

ESR Projects in WP1

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Project 1.1

Compact diode-laser based QEPAS sensors for UAVs

Project 1.2

Long wavelength PTS for BTEX detection

Project 1.3

Photonic crystal hybrid lasers for intra-cavity QEPAS & PTS

Project 1.4

Long-wavelength QCLs for BTEX and propane detection through QEPAS

Project 1.5

Generation and detection of photo-thermal and photo-acoustic waves in solids for advanced near-field IR imaging