Vertical Photonic Crystal Waveguide for Gas Detection

A method for gas detection, comprising:

• providing an apparatus comprising:
• i) a light source, the light source configured to emit light;
• ii) an array of vertical photonic crystal waveguides, wherein the vertical photonic crystal waveguides of the array of vertical photonic crystal waveguides are configured to slow and guide the light emitted from the light source;
• and
• iii) a detector array, wherein the detectors of the detector array are configured to measure the intensity of the light passing through each of the vertical photonic crystal waveguides of the array of vertical photonic crystal waveguides;
• iv) wherein the vertical photonic crystal waveguides of the array of vertical photonic crystal waveguides slow and guide light having a wavelength within the absorption bands of the one or more gas species to be detected;
• exposing the apparatus to a gaseous environment such that gas from the environment flows through the array of vertical photonic crystal waveguides;
• and
• reading values from the detectors of the detector array to identify the presence of the one or more gas species.