Ultra Low Cost Rapid Prototyping of Diffraction Grating Remote Point Gas Sensors

A new straightforward approach for the rapid prototyping and low cost development of diffraction gratings for remote chemical gas sensing is presented. Sol gel matrices incorporating various salts, as well as specially designed polymers are employed and investigated for sensors' implementation for the detection of chemical agents under a remote point sensing scheme. The interaction between the hybrid materials and the measurands results in a reversible change of their optical characteristics that consequently modifies the gratings diffraction efficiency, resulting in an enhanced sensing ability and a stable operation.