UNISON: Universal sensor based on electrically-pumped mid-infrared spectrometer on silicon chips
EIC Pathfinder project (2024-2028), EISMEA

In collaboration with leading European research teams, coordinated by C2N, we’re developing a compact, high-resolution mid-IR spectrometer for precise detection of trace greenhouse and toxic gases. This scalable platform uses advanced silicon-germanium photonics and innovative lasers, enabling new possibilities in environmental monitoring and IoT applications. UNISON supports the EU’s “Zero Pollution” vision for a cleaner, safer future.
sCENTsor: Ultra-sensitive and compact gas sensor
Commercialization/Verification grant project (2024-2027), The Research Council of Norway

Our team recently achieved a significant breakthrough (in projects sCENT and UiTrace) by demonstrating the first chip-scale sensor capable of ppb-level detection and selectivity equivalent to that of high-end instruments.
The sCENTsor developed in this project merges the strengths of high-end commercial spectroscopic systems, offering sensitivity, selectivity, isotope detection capability, and long-term stability, while also being compact, lightweight, and requiring only microlitre sample volumes.
This project aims to explore the disruptive innovation potential of the sCENTsor concept, advancing it from a proof-of-concept to the next level of technological readiness. This entails
- The development of a prototype module
- Real-life application demonstration
sCENT2: Micro-Scale Photonic Trace Gas Sensor
ERC Proof of Concept project (2024 – 2025), European Research Council

This concise Proof of Concept (PoC) project is designed with three key objectives to address the major technological and commercialization challenges before progressing to the next phase of commercial product development:
- Development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Performance Benchmarking
- Use Case Identification and Technology Roadmap
sCENT: Cryptophane-Enhanced Trace Gas Spectroscopy for On-Chip Methane Detection
ERC Starting Grant project (Jan. 2018- Dec. 2024), European Research Council

This high risk/high gain project has as its principal objective the study of sensitivity enhancement will be achieved by pre-concentrating gas molecules directly on a chip surface using cryptophanes.
Cryptophanes are macromolecular structures that can bind and thus pre-concentrate different small molecules, including methane. Spectroscopic detection of methane when trapped in a cryptophane host is an absolute novelty, and, if successful, it will not only contribute to unprecedented sensitivity enhancement, but will also address fundamental questions about the dynamics of small molecules upon encapsulation.
The actual gas sensing will be realized using evanescent field interaction in photonic crystal waveguides, which exhibit both large evanescent field confinement and long effective interaction pathlengths due to the slow-light effect.
Projects led by other team members
ProMis: protein misfolding analysis on photonics platform – Roman Zakoldaev
Berns-SPIE SPARK grant (2024-2025), SPIE

The ProMis platform is an innovative photonic biosensing tool designed to detect early biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. By leveraging waveguide-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, ProMis offers precise, time-resolved monitoring of protein misfolding with nanomolar sensitivity, allowing for the early identification of key molecular changes associated with Alzheimer’s.
CESURA: Lithographically Cleaved Coupling Edges For Suspended Membrane Waveguides – Jehona Salaj
UiT Talent grant (2024-2025), UiT The Arctic University of Norway

A significant challenge with free-standing waveguides is releasing the coupling edges without damaging the delicate structure. This project addresses the issue by applying precise lithography techniques to define and release these edges, ensuring they remain straight and undamaged.
Finished projects
UiTrace: Ultra-sensitive Integrated Trace gas sensors
TFS Starting Grant (July 2018 – June 2024), Tromsø Science Foundation
MICRO-Sense: Mid-Infrared CRyptophane-enhanced On-chip Sensor
Young Research Talents (2017-2021), The Research Council of Norway
Past projects: Sensor Technology (2015-2017)
Read more (in Norwegian):
http://forskning.no/miljoovervakning-teknologi/2016/05/storrelsen-har-alt-si-denne-metangassensoren