Sensors and detectors

A variety of spectroscopic techniques is used in gas analysis and sensing – increasingly important fields, crucial in atmosphere monitoring, emission control and industrial processes efficiency.

Thermal infrared hyperspectral imaging is well suited for the detection, identification, and quantification of industrial stack gas emissions. This application note describes a measurement campaign performed at the Port of Rotterdam with the Telops Hyper-Cam, a commercial high-performance, FTIR-based hyperspectral imaging instrument. Principles of gas detection, quantification, and identification are discussed and computed mass-flow rate results are presented from data acquired at a commercial alkene production facility.

Taking advantage of collective quantum effects has enabled the so-called first quantum revolution in the 20th century for technologies such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and the development of transistors, LEDs, solar panels, and lasers. Today, amid the second quantum revolution new sensing schemes offer higher sensitivities and better resolution thanks to the possibility to detect and control individual quantum states in microscopic systems like atoms, quantum dots, or color centers.

High progress in optoelectronics technology, especially designed for infrared wavelength region (IR), is observed. The use of various spectroscopic methods allows to obtain detailed information on the chemical analysis of the leaking gas. Each of the spectroscopy methods is dedicated to different types of concentration measurements. We encourage you to read the article that explains and presents laser gas leak detection with infrared.

This paper explains how to use the MID-IR linear detector array in the sorting area. High performance optical sorting systems are the main application of multielement detectors. Optical sorting can be used in the mining, food, chemical and pharmacological industries.

Silicon photodetectors are commonly used for light power measurements in a wide range of applications such as bar-code readers, medical imaging, spectroscopy, and laser printers.  There is another function, however, which utilises the photodetectors as optical position sensors. They are widely referred to as Position Sensing Detectors (PSDs). The applications vary from human eye movement monitoring, 3D modelling of human motion to laser, light source, and mirrors alignment.