Slow Light Based On-Chip High Resolution Fourier Transform Spectrometer For Geostationary Imaging of Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases

Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) in infrared wavelength range is an effective measure for global greenhouse gas monitoring. However, conventional FTS instruments are bulky, heavy, and frail to environmental vibration, making them not suitable for satellite platforms. In this proposal, Omega Optics, Inc., together with the University of Texas at Austin, proposes a slow light enhanced on-chip FTS array covering compound spectral wavelength range (1.1 ~ 6.2 m) for geostationary imaging of greenhouse gases. Each array pixel is made of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, one arm of which is conventional waveguide and the other is �fishbone� slow light waveguide. Harnessing the nonlinear phase enhancement generated by the slow light effect of the �fishbone� waveguide, a resolution better than 0.2 cm-2 can be readily achieved within a limited chip surface. An N x M array can be formed by integrating N pixels on one silicon-on-sapphire chip and stacking M chips. Leveraging the CMOS compatible fabrication process, the imaging unit can be ~$10 per pixel and the whole imaging array weights ~ 30g. In addition, the whole module does not have moving parts, making it an ideal candidate for airborne and spaceborne applications.

Infrared spectroscopy has been widely used in numerous NASA�s missions. Compared to conventional instruments, the proposed greenhouse gas imaging unit has unique advantages in cost, size, and weight. In addition, it is immune to environmental fluctuations. These advantages make it a competitive alternative, especially for application with stringent restrictions on size, weight and reliability. Besides, the imaging array can cover the whole compound spectral wavelength range. Therefore, it can also be used to identify other chemicals and materials of interest to NASA�s missions.

As a direct identification method, other than greenhouse gas monitor, infrared spectroscopy is also widely used in pharmacy, biotechnology, industrial chemistry, food safety, and other environment monitoring. A typical FTS is composed of an infrared source, a Michelson interferometer (MI), a detector, and a He-Ne laser for alignment and positioning. The whole system is bulky, heavy, and sensitive to environment fluctuations (vibration,etc). These disadvantages make it mainly a laboratory-only tool with extensive human involvement, and unsuitable for field applications such as toxic gas detection in battle field, stand alone environmental monitoring, and personal food safety/allergy monitor. The proposed chip-based FTS provides a very competitive solution to these applications

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