SensNews Dec 2018

Sensor100 December 2018 20 Technology Novel laser technology for microchip-size chemical sensors Most lasers emit photons of exactly the same wavelength, producing a single color. However, there are also lasers that consist of many frequencies, with equal inter- vals in between, as in the teeth of a comb; thus, they are referred to as «frequency combs.» Frequency combs are perfect for detecting a variety of chemical substances. At TUWien (Vienna), this special type of laser light com- prises a milli- meter-format chemistry lab. With this new patent-pending technology, fre- quency combs can be created on a single chip in a very simple and robust manner.This work has now been presented in the journal Nature Photonics. Reported by: Phys.org December 11 UW-Madison Professor Awarded Moore Fellowship for SensorTechnology Assistant professor Victor Brar has been awarded the Moore Invesntor Fellowship with a monetary award of $825k. Brar’s invention involves manipulating an incandes- cent filament by notching it to reduce light to a single color, making it much more like a laser, but more efficient and faster. “You use an electron beam to cut notches in a pattern. Depending on the pattern, it will emit different colors,” said Brar.“Be- cause the light doesn’t scatter that much, it will go a further distance.” He hopes the technology, which will be used to create low cost, chemical sensors, can be used in an agriculture or environmental settings. Reported by: Middleton Times 2 7 December