Directly Written Integrated Optical Sensors*

Optical sensor devices are pervasive in today's connected society; photonics underpins many advances in sensing and medicine with devices such as lasers commonplace in the manufacturing, defence and communications sectors. Next generation sensors promise greater functionality, but will require a reduction in the development time and cost of these often complex integrated optical systems. 

 DIOS is a Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept project based at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. The project aims to develop and commercialise technology developed in a research group at the forefront of photonics.

Within the DIOS  project we will use ultrafast laser inscription to develop next generation optical sensing platforms.  Rapid prototyping of miniaturised sensor devices and the development of low cost embedded sensor interrogator systems will allow DIOS technology to access parallel markets in optical sensing, bio-photonics and diagnostics estimated in excess of $15 Billion by 2015 and help place Scotland at the forefront of photonic device manufacture.

There are two streams to the project, optical sensing network interrogators (interrogate.htm) and integrated optical sensor devices (sensing.htm).

This project is funded by the Proof of Concept Programme which is developed and operated by Scottish Enterprise in partnership with key stakeholders including: Scottish Government, Universities Scotland and Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. It is partly funded by the European Union.