Photonic and Optomechanical Sensors for Nanoscaled and Quantum Thermometry

Short Name: PhotOQuant, Project Number: 17FUN05
Image showing a computer processor lit from behind
Image of a computer processor lit from behind

Photonic and optomechanical sensors for nanoscale and quantum thermometry


For a wide range of processes, from consumer electronics to space instrumentation, there is a growing need to make temperature measurements at smaller scales.

The range of currently available thermometers, however, cannot meet the challenge.

Nanotechnology now offers the possibility of innovative ‘optomechanical’ sensors capable of measuring temperature on micrometre length scales. Not only could these new temperature sensors replace the standard high-accuracy platinum resistance thermometers but, embedded into production processes, many industrial users could benefit from the technology.

 

This project designed, fabricated, and characterised different optomechanical systems for temperature measurement. Calibration methods have also been developed to make the sensors traceable to the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90).

Beyond sensing capability on the micro- and nano-scale, other advantages include reduced cost, better portability and robustness, and increased resistance to mechanical shock and electrical interference.

Additionally, optomechanical sensors could be developed as a future quantum-based primary standard for temperature measurement.

 

Project website
Other Participants
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Spain)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France)
Université Paris-Diderot (France)
IHP GmbH - Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics/Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik (Germany)
Sorbonne Université (France)
Technische Universitaet Braunschweig (Germany)
Technische Universiteit Delft (Netherlands)