Miniaturized and Robust FTS Sensor for Marine Chemical Analysis

Vescent Photonics proposes to construct a miniaturized, robust, Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) for rapid, in-situ marine chemical analysis. A t the heart of the proposed FTS sensor is our innovative, electro-optic technology, which provides a replacement for mechanical mirror translation. This technology enables a chip-scale, fully integrated FTS sensor with exceptional attributes: 1) small size, comparable to a book of matches; 2) low mass, only tens of grams; 3) small energy consumption, can be battery powered; 4) high sensitivity, can detect solvated species at the ppm to ppb level; 5) great versatility, is sensitive to essentially any chemical contaminant; 6) robust monolithic construction, no moving parts are needed; 7) rapid measurement time, only a few seconds; and 8) tremendous potential for economical construction. This FTS will directly sense, without the need for any chemical reagents, organic contaminants, phosphates, nitrogen, and silica compounds solvated in the marine environment.