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Sensing Division

Sensing Division Overview

This division focuses on the latest developments in optical sensors and sensing systems, as well as their use in a variety of applications. From sensing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to detecting the presence of trace chemicals in the human body, optics can be used in a variety of ways to achieve compact, low-cost, stand-off sensing with extreme sensitivity and selectivity. Rapidly evolving fields like agriphotonics and quantum sensing require creative applications of a wide range of optics, lasers, and instrumentation to break through existing barriers in chemical and physical sensing. Applications of advanced laser sources like optical frequency combs and semiconductor lasers from the near-infrared to THz regimes are critical to current and future sensing systems at various physical and temporal scales. Remote sensing requires the application of optics and photonics on the ground, in the air, and in space-based observatories and instrument networks in order to study dynamic and extreme environments. The transition of optics and photonics research and development to commercial sensing instrumentation, prototypes and data products like hyperspectral and multispectral imaging and sounding of the environment is of interest across the division. 

Technical Groups

 

Agriphotonics

Agriphotonics using optical sensors to perform soil monitoring, plant analysis, fertilizer analysis, and microalgae research to benefit food sources and delivery systems. Examples include the robust analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils and the environment, studies of denitrification by optical sensing, and advances in online process analytical techniques.

Applied Spectroscopy

This group emphasizes the application of optical spectroscopy to detection and sensing problems relevant to industry and commerce like, combustion, defense, and biomedical fields.  Examples of applied spectroscopy might include VNIR sensing and processing for food characterization and process control, optical techniques used in forensics, chem/bio detection and warning applications, and chemical analysis.

Environmental Sensing

This group emphasizes sensing for the environment.  Environmental sensing involves those tools and processing techniques to characterize the environment including DIAL and LIDAR, hyperspectral monitoring, detection, processing and characterization, surveying applications, atmospheric propagation, pollution monitoring, and remote imaging. Also included in this area is remote sensing for military and commercial applications such as land management, target detection, and disaster monitoring. Remote sensing of the environment includes ground, air, and space-based optics, photonics and instrumentation for Earth observations.

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