Collaborative Research: Combining Infrared Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry on a Nanophotonic Platform for Chemical Sensing

该奖项的研究目标是探索用于气体分子的灵敏检测和识别的芯片上红外光谱和质谱仪。这两种探测机制都将使用光子晶体器件来研究，该器件同时充当纳米光子腔和纳米机械谐振器。利用这种光子晶体结构，这项研究将在纳米尺度上研究腔增强光机共振现象和红外光-分子相互作用机制。在该计划中，还将研究具有战略意义的中红外波段的新材料系统、光子器件设计和制造技术。该计划创造的芯片级双模传感器如果成功，将在纳米光子学、纳米机械和化学/生物传感领域产生立竿见影的影响。在一个通用设备平台上协同结合纳米机械和纳米光子检测方法将克服限制芯片上传感技术的特异性和灵敏度瓶颈：双模传感器测量分析物的相对分子质量和特征红外吸收指纹，从而能够高精度地识别和量化化学物种；纳米尺度的空穴增强的相互作用还可以提高检测极限，潜在地降低到单分子水平。此外，通过该计划在中红外材料和器件方面的创新将填补长波集成光电子学中缺失的一环，这一环节对成像、光谱和自由空间通信至关重要。参与的本科生和研究生研究人员将受益于两个小组之间的交叉合作以及与国家实验室的夏季交流，以扩展他们的技术经验。该计划还将通过高中生辅导和新的光学课程模块开发，在两所参与的大学扩大K-12计划。

The research objective of this award is to explore on-chip infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry for sensitive detection and identification of gas molecules. Both detection mechanisms will be studied using a photonic crystal device which serve simultaneously as a nanophotonic cavity and a nanomechanical resonator. Using this photonic crystal structure, the proposed research will study cavity-enhanced optomechanical resonance phenomena and infrared light-molecule interaction mechanisms in the nanoscale. In this program, new material systems, photonic device designs and fabrication technologies will also be investigated for the strategically important mid-infrared wave band.The chipscale, dual-mode sensor created in this program will have an immediate impact in the fields of nanophotonics, nanomechanics, and chem/bio sensing if successful. Synergistically combining nanomechanical and nanophotonic detection methods on a common device platform will overcome the specificity and sensitivity bottlenecks limiting on-chip sensing technologies: the dual-mode sensor measures molecular weight and characteristic infrared absorption fingerprints of analyte, thus enabling recognition and quantification of chemical species with high accuracy; cavity-enhanced interactions in the nanoscale also lead to improved limit of detection potentially down to a single-molecule level. In addition, innovations in mid-infrared materials and devices made through this program will fill the missing link in long-wave integrated optoelectronics critical to imaging, spectroscopy, and free-space communications. The participating undergraduate and graduate researchers will benefit from the cross-cutting collaboration between the two groups and summer exchanges with national laboratories to extend their technical experiences. The program will also expand K-12 initiatives at both participating universities through high school student mentoring and new optical science class module development.