About the project
This project aims to revolutionise diagnostics with a quantum-enhanced mid-IR sensing platform for quick, easy and non-invasive detection of pollutants and disease markers. By integrating advanced materials, it will enable ultra-sensitive, real-time environmental and health monitoring, offering a powerful tool for early disease detection and improved pollutant tracking.
Imagine a world where detecting pollutants or diagnosing diseases is as simple as a quick, non-invasive test. This project aims to make that vision a reality by developing a quantum-enhanced mid-IR sensing platform with the power to transform environmental monitoring and biomedical diagnostics.
The technology will allow for the real-time detection of low-concentration pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and enable rapid, precise screening for disease biomarkers, like cancer, at ultra-low levels.
To achieve this, we will integrate Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) with Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and advanced metasurfaces. Known for their tunable optical properties, TMDCs will boost light-matter interactions, while metasurfaces amplify specific resonances to increase mid-IR detection sensitivity.
These quantum sensors, leveraging phenomena like coherence and superposition, will detect subtle thermal changes from mid-IR absorption. This innovative approach promises ultra-sensitive, compact, and scalable molecular fingerprinting solutions, setting new standards for environmental and health diagnostics.
Additionally, this project will be highly multidisciplinary, and you will be strongly supported by a supervisory team with expertise across three Schools: Optoelectronics Research Centre, Electronics and Computer Science, and Engineering.
