Mid-Infrared Chalcogenide Waveguides for Real-Time and Nondestructive Volatile Organic Compound Detection

A mid-infrared (mid-IR) sensor chip was demonstrated for volatile organic compound (VOC) detection. The sensor consisted of As2Se3 optical waveguides built by microelectronic fabrication processes. The VOC sensing performance was characterized by measuring acetone and ethanol vapors at their characteristic C-H absorption from lambda = 3.40 to 3.50 mu m. Continuous VOC detection with <5 s response time was achieved by measuring the intensity attenuation of the waveguide mode. The miniaturized noninvasive VOC sensor can be applied to breath analysis and environmental toxin monitoring.