New Photonics Project Targets Smarter, Greener Sensing Technologies

In the future, we can use miniature devices with metalenses to identify substances. Tampere University acts as the research partner in a VTT-led project that is developing compact, sustainable spectral imaging and gas measurement technologies for use in industry and medical diagnostics.

The three-year EPheS (Efficient Photonics for Sustainable Imaging and Sensing) project was launched in early 2025 with the total budget of €4.2 million. The project focuses on integrating metalenses and MEMS-based (micro-electromechanical system) infrared filters into miniature systems that can detect gases and analyze materials with high sensitivity.

Researchers of photonics at Tampere University have completed the first design phase of metaoptic components optimized for infrared imaging and gas-sensing functionalities. Now the team is transitioning into fabrication of these components that will form the core of the EPheS imaging and sensing systems.

“At Tampere University, we develop metaoptic components that manipulate light with nanoscale precision. Within EPheS, our focus is on designing metalenses and metasurfaces that bring advanced imaging and sensing functionalities into compact, integrated formats. By combining metaoptics with MEMS technology, we aim to make high-performance photonic systems more sustainable, scalable, and accessible for real-world applications,” says Humeyra Caglayan, Professor of Experimental Optics and Photonics from Tampere University.

The project emphasizes ecological materials like silicon, avoiding toxic and rare substances traditionally used in infrared optics. It also leverages photoacoustic methods, where gases are identified via audio signals generated by infrared light absorption.

Chip-scale measurement technologies for industry and medicine
According to Aapo Varpula, project coordinator and Research Team Leader at VTT, novel spectral imaging and gas measurement technologies are essential for creating a sustainable circular economy.

“Metalenses are flat, nanostructured lenses that can replace traditional optics. This enables the manufacturing of simpler, lighter and more resource and cost-effective systems. This will only happen when the chamber contains a specific gas for which the wavelength of the infrared radiation is tuned,” Varpula explains.

Caglayan says that the research addresses several concrete challenges. These include miniaturization of optical systems without compromising performance, scalability and sustainability, by using silicon-based, CMOS-compatible materials instead of rare or toxic ones, and integration of metaoptics with MEMS, enabling tunable, multifunctional systems for spectral sensing and imaging. CMOS is a type of technology used in electronic components.

“Ultimately, our goal is to bring advanced optical functionalities onto chip-scale platforms, making photonic measurement technologies more accessible, energy-efficient, and versatile for industrial and medical applications,” says Caglayan.

These innovations promise smaller, cheaper, and more versatile instruments also for applications such as environmental monitoring and food safety.

Partners include VTT, Tampere University, Vaisala, Gasera, Schott Primoceler, and Applied Materials. The Business Finland Co-Innovation project is part of the Chip Zero ecosystem.