New-generation all-fibre grating sensing and spectroscopy

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Most of today's optical spectrometers involve free space propagation and large size gratings, missing the significant benefits of miniaturization, namely, high resolution, high dispersion, and directionality promised by portable spectrometers. Spectroscopy markets are enjoying moderate growth of 11% per year, driven largely by emerging miniaturization technology that enables spectroscopic assays to be carried out from portable hand-held products such as a smartphone. This market is driven most significantly by demand for optical sensing in industrial production, agriculture and environment monitoring, point-of-care medical devices and consumer products. The application sectors include Life Sciences, Material Chemistry, Food and Agriculture, Environmental Testing, Forensics, Nanotechnology, and Drug Discovery.Optical fibers are ubiquitous in relaying light signals in diverse market applications from optical communications to surgical guidance tools. In recent advances, ultrafast laser processing of optical fibre has improved the geometric control over the grating writing to enable the spectral radiation of the light to outside of the fibre-defining a basis for ultra-thin and flexible fibre spectrometers. The base know-how has been assembled by our group, encompassing novel nano-processing tools that flexibly shape miniature device elements into optical fibres with state-of-the-art ultrafast laser processing facilities at the University of Toronto. The processes are reproducible and relative high speed to enable prototyping for potential customers.Our team has opened a technical pathway for creating high refractive index contrast, and designing novel grating patterns, that combine to strongly enhance the radiative efficiency from a thin optical fibre. The technology opens a new direction for manufacturing spectrometers inside of an optical glass wire. The present proposal supports first level discovery and evaluation of the potential market for the new concept of all-fiber spectrometer, seeking advantages in the small footprint, low production cost, and integration with the optical fiber information highway.