Multifunctional LiNbO₃ Chip

Photodetection & multi-modal gas sensing

Integrates photodetection, photoacoustic spectroscopy, and thermoelastic spectroscopy on a single chip, spanning visible to mid-IR with ppb-level gas detection limits.

Lin, Haoyang · Zheng, Huadan · Zhu, Wenguo · Zhong, Yongchun · Yu, Jianhui · Wu, Hongpeng · Jia, Zhiwei · Zhang, Jinchuan · Sampaolo, Angelo · Patimisco, Pietro · Lu, Hhuihui · Jia, Xiaojun · Spagnolo, Vincenzo L. · Dong, Lei

Nature Communications 2026

Specifications

QCL wavelength

{'zh': '4.6', 'en': '4.6'} µm

Advantages

Three functions on one chip

Photoacoustic spectroscopy, thermoelastic spectroscopy, and photodetection are integrated on the same lithium niobate chip, eliminating optical alignment and packaging complexity of discrete components.

Broad spectral coverage

Operation spans from visible to mid-infrared, covering characteristic absorption peaks of various gases without device replacement.

ppb-level detection limits

Experimentally demonstrated trace detection of six gases (NO₂, H₂O, C₂H₂, CO₂, CH₄, NH₃) with parts-per-billion detection limits.

System-level integration reduces footprint

Chip co-packaged with a quantum cascade laser on a printed circuit board, markedly reducing system complexity and footprint compared with conventional benchtop systems.

Applications

• Trace gas sensing：Detects multiple trace gases simultaneously with ppb-level sensitivity, replacing bulky benchtop instruments.
• On-chip spectrometer：Provides an integrated spectroscopic sensing core for fully on-chip spectrometers.
• Point-of-care diagnostics：Enables rapid, portable disease biomarker detection via breath analysis.
• Environmental monitoring：Monitors trace pollutants in real time on-site, eliminating lab sampling.