The research projects are focused on developing knowledge, technologies and engineering systems based on Mid-IR (3 – 30 mm) spectroscopy that will provide unprecedented optical and chemical sensing capabilities for trace chemicals, especially trace gases. MIRTHE will advance mid-IR tunable laser sources, in particular Quantum Cascade lasers, detectors, and ultra-sensitive sensor systems to a maturity level characteristic of ubiquitous and affordable technologies and will demonstrate 3 specific applications through testbeds in environmental sensing, homeland security, and medical diagnostics. MIRTHE aims at using these technologies to better standards of living, improve understanding of human physiology and the environment, and enhance medical capabilities in the treatment of serious diseases. Such advances will transform society by opening up new avenues to a cleaner, safer environment and improved health care, while creating new product lines for the semiconductor, test and measurement, and chemical, petrochemical, and medical equipment industries.

In practice this encompasses the research, development, proto-typing, and technology transfer to industry of unprecedented Mid-IR single- and multi-species optical trace-gas sensing systems for environmental, homeland security, and medical applications. The underlying technologies are tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, semiconductor devices and optoelectronics, intersubband photonics, Quantum Cascade (QC) lasers, quartz-enhanced photo-acoustic, cavity-enhanced, cavity ring-down, and LIDAR spectroscopy, environmental trace gas dynamics, tracer gas tracking, and breath analysis.

MIRTHE research programs hence provide a broadly interdisciplinary education in fields essential for the future economic health of our nation:

(i) materials and device science, (ii) nanotechnology, (iii) fundamentals of sensing, iv) optoelectronic systems design & manufacturing, v) environmental chemistry,

vi) climate research, vii) public safe-guarding, viii) medical diagnostics through breath analysis, (ix) societal impact (x) technology policy

Parallel to this research and development mission, MIRTHE’s second key goal is the formation of a vibrant community for learning, student-driven research, and diversity outreach that provides the best education across a wide spectrum - a community that will deliver a new generation of highly educated, practice-oriented, and competitive U.S. workforce diverse in gender, race and ethnicity.

Abhishek Agrawal '09 Tiffany Ko '09