Research Programmes

Success is based on our research

Creating future technology

Research and Development

The people behind Airoptic have been involved in the developing of tunable diode laser gas monitoring instrumentation and spectrometers for more than two decades, including the development of a wide range of gas monitoring instruments for applications in industrial process analytics and in medical analysis. A substantial focus and resources are put on R&D activities concerning development of novel analyzer products.

Airoptic has invented several novel solutions for gas sensingfor industrial applications. We have expertise in system architecture, optics, electronics, mechanics as well as firmware and software development. Airoptic has participated in several international and national research projects which allowed the company to gain substantial experience in the field of novel Mid-IR sources for gas sensing applications.

Horizon 2020 Programmes

Airoptic is Participating in the MULTIPLE / HORIZON 2020 PROGRAMME

Start date: Dec 1, 2019 End date: June 30, 2023 | Project in progress

The MULTIPLE will develop cost-effective multimodal monitoring solutions with a breakthrough impact on production quality and efficiency. It will bring cutting-edge organic-electronics-based sensors, snapshot hyperspectral filters and dual-aperture imaging to deliver cost-effective spectrometers and camera cores in a broad VIS/SWIR range, complemented with cost effective laser-based chemometric sensors in the MWIR. On top of these sensors, MULTIPLE will develop novel multimodal monitoring systems that will be IoT native, by combining them with cloud, big data, and deep learning for agile development and orchestration of complex AI-based models to optimize production improving EU manufacturing competitiveness.

More information on MULTIPLE programme you will find here.

Airoptic is participating in the iCspec / HORIZON 2020 programme

Start date: 01/04/2015 End date: 30/09/2018 | Project finished

The iCspec project focuses on the in-line process control of many technically relevant gases such as hydrocarbons (HC). The main purpose of the project is to develop gas analyzers beyond the state-of-the-art for fast in-line multi-component monitoring of gas compositions in a process stream and to replace currently employed analyzers as gas chromatographs (GCs) or Fourier-Transform-Infrared spectrometers (FTIRs).

More information on iCspec programme you will find here.

Airoptic is participating in the Miregas / HORIZON 2020 programme

Start date: Jan 1, 2015, End date: Oct 31, 2018 | Project finished

Cost effective multi-wavelength light sources are key enablers for wide-scale penetration of gas sensors at Mid-IR wavelength range. Utilizing a novel Mid-IR Si-based photonic integrated circuit filter and wide-band Mid-IR SLEDs, we aim at demonstrating an innovative light source that covers 2.7…3.5 µm wavelength range with a resolution <1nm. The spectral bands would be switchable and tunable. The source would allow for the fabrication of an affordable multi-band gas sensor with good selectivity and sensitivity. The unit price should be lowered in high-volumes by utilizing tailored molded IR lens technology and automated packaging and assembling technologies.

More information on Miregas programme you will find here.

Research and Innovation funding 2014-2020 FP7 Programme

Monolithic Widely Tunable Interband Cascade Lasers for Safety and Security

Project finished

Core and disruptive photonic technologies Monolithic Widely Tunable Interband Cascade Lasers for Safety and Security The WideLase project focuses on compact, rugged and cost effective laser sources with wide tuning range for safety and security applications in the 3.3 to 7.0 µm wavelength range.Three particular challenging applications with significant market potential are investigated within the project. There are no suitable application grade semiconductor lasers for these sensor applications yet available on the market.

The aim of the WideLase project is to overcome these limitations and to achieve the following goals:Novel Interband Cascade based laser structures with wide gain bandwidth will be realized enabling room temperature continuous wave operation. The developed structures will exceed existing Quantum Cascade Laser performance figures in the targeted mid infrared range.Novel monolithic concepts for electrical tuning based on multi-section DFB as well as acousto-optoelectronic lasers will be developed for the first time in the wavelength range of interest.

More information on programme you will find here.

Narodowe centrum badań i rozwoju 2015 – 2021

POIR – Program Operacyjny Inteligentny Rozwój

POIR.01.01.01-00-0978/20
Start date: Nov 1, 2020, End date: Jun 30, 2023 | Project in progress

GasEye Probe – Jednogłowicowy laserowy analizator gazu z sondą in-situ do sterowania procesami przemysłowymi i kontroli emisji spalin w przemyśle
Głównym celem tego projektu jest stworzenie innowacyjnego w skali światowej jednogłowicowego prototypu laserowego analizatora gazowego w technologii in-situ do pomiaru wielu składników gazu w czasie rzeczywistym bezpośrednio w procesie. Ten produkt stanowi nowoczesne rozwiązanie oparte na technologii TDLS (z ang. Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy) i jest bezpośrednią odpowiedzią na zapotrzebowanie rynkowe zarówno w przypadku kontroli procesów przemysłowych jak i kontroli emisji spalin przemysłowych, m.in w elektrowniach wykorzystujących węgiel, gaz ziemny czy odpady (spalarnie śmieci). Kamieniem milowym jest prototyp analizatora, który osiągnie docelowe wartości limitu detekcji dla SO2/NO2/NO/O2.

GasEye Probe – Single head multi-gas laser analyzer with an in-situ probe for industrial process control and emission monitoring
The main goal of this project is to create an innovative on a global scale, a single-head gas analyzer prototype for in-situ measurement of multi gases directly in the process in real-time. This product is a modern solution based on TDLS (Tunable Diode Laser Spectroscopy) technology and is a direct response to market demand for both industrial process control and industrial emissions control, including coal-fired, natural gas fired or waste power plants (waste incineration plants). The key property of the prototype is to measure several gases in one stream with target values for SO2/NO2/NO/O2.

Strategiczny program badań naukowych i prac rozwojowych „Nowoczesne technologie materiałowe” / Strategic research and development program “Modern material technologies” – TECHMATSTRATEG

TECHMATSTRATEG1/347510/15/NCBR/2018
Start date: Mar 1, 2018, End date: Sep 28, 2022 | Project in progress

Opracowanie technologii struktur dla jednomodowych laserów kaskadowych do zastosowań w układach optycznej detekcji gazów
Celem projektu jest opracowanie technologii jednomodowych laserów kaskadowych i zademonstrowanie ich zastosowania w wykrywaniu gazów w czasie rzeczywistym. W ostatnich latach dokonano znacznej poprawy w opracowaniu wydajnych QCL o dużej mocy. Te wysiłki doprowadziły do ​​powstania laserów o mocy wyjściowej CW przekraczającej 1 W i wydajności wtyczki ściennej większej niż 10% w temperaturze pokojowej. Jednak w wielu aplikacjach komercyjnych, np. wykrywanie gazu w średnim zakresie podczerwieni, który zawiera interesujące linie absorpcji molekularnej, wystarczające są moce optyczne kilkudziesięciu mW.

Dlatego kluczowe znaczenie ma minimalizacja rozpraszania mocy w źródłach światła. Lasery te mogą umożliwić opracowanie przenośnych spektrometrów laserowych działających na średnich długościach fal podczerwieni do wykrywania związków w nauce o atmosferze, monitorowaniu środowiska i innych aplikacjach wykrywających. W obecnym projekcie skupimy się na rozwoju jednomodowych QCL o niskim zużyciu energii dla określonych długości fal w zakresie od 4 do 12 μm. W ramach proponowanego projektu zbadamy nowe schematy wykrywania gazu oparte na laserowych kaskadach kwantowych. Planujemy skoncentrować nasze badania na dłuższym zakresie fal środkowej podczerwieni (w drugim oknie atmosferycznym), ponieważ obszar ten jest wciąż niedostatecznie zbadany, ale z punktu widzenia badań podstawowych jest on znacznie trudniejszy.

Development of technology of Single-modE quaNtum cascade lasers for gas SEnsing applications (SENSE).
The project goal is to develop technology of single-mode quantum cascade lasers and demonstrate their use in real time gas sensing applications. In the recent years, significant improvement has been made in the development of efficient high power QCLs. These efforts have led to lasers with CW output power in excess of 1W and wall-plug efficiency greater than 10% at RT. However, in many of the commercial applications, e.g. gas sensing in the mid-infrared range, which contains strong molecular absorption lines of interest, optical powers of few tens of mWs are sufficient.

Therefore, the minimization of the power dissipation in the light sources becomes crucial. These lasers can enable the development of portable laser spectrometers operating at mid-infrared wavelengths for detection of compounds in atmospheric science, environmental monitoring, and other sensing applications. In the present project, we will focus on the development of low power consumption single mode QCLs for application specified wavelengths from 4 to 12 μm range. Under the proposed project we will explore new schemes of gas detection, based on quantum cascade lasers. We plan to focus our research on longer wavelength range of the mid-infrared (at the second atmospheric window), because this area is still insufficiently studied, but it is also significantly more challenging from the basic research point of view.

POIR – Program Operacyjny Inteligentny Rozwój

POIR.01.01.01-00-0761/15
Start date: Jan 1, 2015, End date: Aug 31, 2019 | Project in progress

GasEye HydroC – prototyp laserowego multianalizatora gazowego dla światowego rynku naftowo-gazowniczego i petrochemicznego
Głównym celem Projektu jest stworzenie prototypu laserowego multianalizatora gazowego (pod roboczą nazwą GasEye HydroC) celującego w rosnące zapotrzebowanie globalnego rynku naftowogazowniczego i petrochemicznego na szybkie, bezobsługowe i precyzyjne urządzenia typu TDLS (z. ang tunable diode laser spectroscopy). Kluczową cechą Gas Eye HydroC w porównaniu do konkurencji będzie zdolność analizy gazów w jednym strumieniu. Kamieniem milowym jest prototyp analizatora, który osiągnie docelowe wartości limitu detekcji dla CO2/H2S/H2O w warunkach zbliżonych do rzeczywistych, tzn. w gazie ziemnym i w środowisku zagrożonym wybuchem.

GasEye HydroC – a prototype for multigas laser analyser for oil & gas and petrochemical global markets.
The main project goal is to create a prototype of the laser based multigas analyzer under working name GasEye HydroC, which directly targets at the current needs of the global Oil & Gas and Petrochemical markets for fast and precise analyzers with low cost of ownership. The key property of the HydroC is to measure several gases in one stream: CO2/H2S/H2O gas sample close to the real sample i.e. natural gas, as well as in conditions close to the real environment.

More information