Integrated interferometers as a new platform for low cost gas chromatography detection

• Published in: Talanta (Oxford) Vol. 281; p. 126659
• Main Authors: Hirschauer, Pomme, Paris, Benoît, Messaoudene, Sonia, Fournier, Maryse, Bourlon, Bertrand, Hou, Yanxia, Ricoul, Florence, Laplatine, Loïc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2025; Elsevier
• Subjects: Analytical chemistry; Chemical Sciences; Gas chromatography (GC); Gas sensor; Instrumentation and Detectors; Integrated photonics; Mach Zehnder interferometer (MZI); Physics; Volatile organic compound; Volatile organic compound; Gas sensor; Integrated photonics; Gas chromatography (GC); Mach Zehnder interferometer (MZI)
• ISSN: 0039-9140; 1873-3573; 1873-3573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126659

Gas chromatography is a reference method for gas analysis. As part of efforts to miniaturize gas chromatography systems, the miniaturization of detectors is essential. In this work, we report a new integrated photonic platform for gas chromatography analyte detection. The fabricated silicon die integrates Mach-Zehnder interferometers into low dead volume microfluidic channels, with coherent cost-effective detection scheme with a fixed 850 nm wavelength laser. A proof of concept is demonstrated with the separation and detection of three volatile organic compounds: heptane, octane, and toluene. Peaks’ widths at half height range from 1 to 5 s. Peaks are very well resolved by our system, which acquires more than 100 points per second. From a heptane dilution range, we evaluate the limit of detection of our system to be the headspace of a 0.26 % heptane concentration solution. To our knowledge, these are the first integrated Mach-Zehnder interferometers reported for gas chromatography detection. This work could open new strategies for fast low cost and low limit of detection specific gas chromatography silicon micro-detectors. [Display omitted] •Development of a low cost packaging for integration of a photonic die to a gas chromatography column•Design of a silicon photonics circuit and system for high speed data acquisition•First-time achievement of gas chromatography analyte detection with Mach Zehnder interferometers