HMR-Based Optical Gas Detection With CuO and ZnO Coatings

This work presents the fabrication of hyperbolic mode resonance-based optical sensors for gas sensing using sputtered copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films. Two sensors were fabricated in a planar waveguide configuration with an intermediate gold thin film, and resonances were observed in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

The study shows how metal oxide thin films can be integrated into optical structures to generate hyperbolic mode resonances for sensing applications. By using CuO and ZnO coatings, the researchers demonstrate a thin-film approach to optical gas sensor design based on planar waveguide devices.

How Moorfield products helped:

nanoPVD

Thin film deposition

The nanoPVD S10A from Moorfield Nanotechnology Limited played a pivotal role in the fabrication of the optical sensors by enabling the precise deposition of a 25 nm gold thin film. This deposition was a critical step in creating the planar waveguide configuration necessary for the sensors’ performance.

Open Access publication details:

Elieser E. Gallego Martínez, Carlos Ruiz Zamarreño, Ignacio R. Matías https://doi.org/10.1109/LSENS.2025.3585309