NEMILIES · NanoElectroMechanical Infrared Light for Industrial and Environmental Sensing

The reliable and quantitative sensing of light is a fundamental task ubiquitous to modern technology. The infrared (IR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum hosts a wealth of intriguing interactions between radiation and matter, which are of particular interest for a wide range of applications including environmental, biological, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food & agriculture applications. Because of the low energy of IR photons, cryogenic cooling is required in order to reach the requisite high sensitivities in the mid- and far-IR. In our ERC PoC work (NIRD), we developed an uncooled IR sensor prototype based on a nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS), called NEMILIE, which can reach unprecedented sensitivity at room temperature. This radically new IR detector technology disrupts the IR detectors market with an innovative high-sensitivity solution able to reduce costs and penetrate industrial markets where cryogenic cooling is uncommon and impractical, opening an array of new possibilities. Our overall goal is to go beyond the proof of concept, bring our NEMILIE technology to maturity and achieve market readiness, thereby successfully transitioning our ERC PoC technology to market.