The RACOON project (Coherent dual-comb lidar adapted to the marine environment) is part of the development of new underwater imaging techniques, both for military applications (threat detection, intrusion, monitoring of sensitive sites, etc.) and civilian (resource detection, submerged works monitoring, navigation safety and wreck inspection...). This project aims to validate the concept of a coherent underwater lidar, develop a prototype, then test it and characterize its performances under realistic conditions of underwater environment. RACOON therefore proposes to go beyond the state of the art of underwater lidar, which is based so far exclusively on an incoherent approach, that is to say that the signal detected is the light intensity. On the contrary, the coherent approach, which relies on the detection of the electric field, offers a priori important advantages. Indeed, in this approach, the signal varies as the inverse of the distance to the target (against the inverse square in the incoherent approach). In addition, the detection of the field makes possible the filtering of the photons diffused by the particles suspended in the sea water, and therefore must significantly increase the signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, coherent detection offers the possibility of measuring the movements or speeds of the target. First, we will demonstrate the relevance of the coherent approach on a 532 nm laboratory test system, which will allow a simple direct comparison of coherent and in coherent configurations. This test system will also be characterized during the project, in the seawater tank DEXMES of the Laboratoire Géo-Océan, in Brest, which allows to have controlled marine environments (turbidity, flow velocity). Then we will develop a coherent lidar prototype in the blue-green spectrum. This prototype is based on an architecture well mastered by the FOTON Institute, a double loop with frequency shift (or bi-directional loop). Initially, a 1550 nm loop will be made on the basis of the experience acquired by the laboratory on previous projects (ANR COCOA, ANR Astrid MECHOUI). A tripling frequency stage will reach the blue-green region (517 nm), suitable for underwater propagation. This prototype, which uses the principle of dual-comb and multi-heterodyne detection, must offer a sub-centimeter resolution. It will be tested first in the DEXMES tank, then, at the end of the project, in the IFREMER instrumented channel (50 m) which will characterize the performance of the prototype under realistic conditions, in terms of scope, resolution, signal to noise, and the ability to measure movements and speeds. In parallel, a technology watch task will be conducted on the sources and components in the blue-green spectrum. For the moment, the performances of these do not allow the realization of a dual-comb system directly in this spectral range, but we anticipate in the long run this possibility, which will greatly simplify future coherent underwater lidar systems. The RACOON project is a 36-month, single-partner project led by two teams from the FOTON Institute, in Rennes and Lannion. It will draw on the experience and know-how of external collaborators (). The work will be carried out by researchers, faculty members, and technical staff of the FOTON Institute, with the help of a postdoctoral researcher recruited for theis project.

There is an urgent need to develop reliable and reproducible sensing technologies for in situ and continuous water monitoring for surface water and wastewaters. The AQUAE project will address this need by specifically developing dedicated chemical sensors that are versatile and adaptable enough to monitor priority substances and their degradation in a wide range of aquatic environments. Real-time monitoring of water quality using these chemical sensors will be performed in the real environment and at the point of discharge, which is necessary to prevent micropollution, define appropriate corrective actions for environmental remediation and decide when they should be undertaken (SCIRPE, BRGM, IFREMER with CEDRE). The AQUAE project will provide an attractive solution for real-time monitoring of nutrient concentration to control sustainable remediation processes such as phytoremediation (SCIRPE with DEEP INSA) and nutrient recovery treatment (Bioengine Laboratory, U. Laval, Canada). The development of chemical sensors for on-site detection will skillfully combine infrared photonics (IR) and electrochemical (EC) technology, both well mastered by the consortium (ISCR, KLEARIA, I.FOTON, BRGM & IFREMER). These two spectroscopic methods will be coupled in a portable device with a common microfluidic system for a fast, multivariate and in situ monitoring of organic contaminants. This hybrid prototype combining IR and EC sensors is oriented towards water pollution problems and wastewaters treatment by phytoremediation or nutrient recovery treatment. In addition to its fabrication for on-site use, a major challenge of the project is to overcome a new scientific barrier by designing and fabricating IR & EC sensors on a unique Lab-on-Chip. This AQUAE's LOC multifunctional sensors with an adapted microfluidic system will be designed to detect various priority substances (BTEX, PAH, pesticides, phthalate, drug residues and nitrates). Its efficiency will be tested at the laboratory scale for a first proof of concept. The detection concentrations in the AQUAE project for considered micropollutants will be at laboratory scale : BTEX and PAHs in case of vicinity of accidental pollution range from 50-150 µg/L, phthalate DEHP often in the range of 1-100 µg/L in wastewater and rain water, pesticides more than 5 µg/L in polluted sites for which the standard at 0.1 µg/L can be largely exceeded like in the north of France (metolachlor), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac and ibuprofene) with tested range µg/L-mg/L. For nitrates detected by electrochemical sensor, we will consider the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) which requires Member States to respect the quality standard not to be exceeded for the good status of groundwater (50 mg/L). The recommendation for discharges to water are about 15 mg/L of total nitrogen in the case of a treatment plant with a capacity of more than 600 kg/d. At the national level, the nitrate pollutant load of small treatment plants remains marginal. Reduction efforts must be concentrated on agricultural inputs especially in “vulnerable zones" where specific agricultural practices are imposed to limit the risks of pollution. In the AQUAE project, the sensors robustness will be demonstrated in the range 1-100 mg/L, at least with daily measurements to prevent any accidental event and with a t of 30 min to follow the denitrification process, in agreement with surface water analysis and industrial applications. The 0.05-1 mg/L range is a bonus for seawater analyses.

In this project we aim at demonstrating a photonic-based signal analyzer (PSA) with THz frequency band for on-wafer measurement that will be capable of addressing the needs of emerging millimeter wave and THz devices and systems. It will be based on a micro-machined silicon micro-probe with an integrated photonics-based heterodyne mixer with THz frequency band using an optical local oscillator based on a off-the-shelf 10-GHz-repetition rate mode locked laser. The central part of this demonstration will be the design and the non-linear characterization MMIC’s D band amplifiers up to 1 THz in order to measure the harmonics brought by the non-linear properties of the circuit in addition of the fundamental frequency. In the final part of the project, based on the new experimental data provided by this experimental set-up, non-linear models with better accuracy will be extracted and validated by retro-simulation.

The MID-VOC project aims at developing a highly innovative integrated optical spectroscopic sensor to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the Mid-Infrared from exhaled breath. Indeed VOCs exhibit broad absorption features in this wavelength range. These sensors are based on optical waveguide made of porous silicon (PSi) to take advantage of the opened pores in order to obtain a low limit of detection. To ensure selective detection of VOCs, two types of functionalization of PSi will be considered: an inorganic approach by using metal oxide particles whereas the second approach will use self-assembly monolayer (SAM). So, the project will consist in the design, functionalization, processing and characterization of mid-IR sensors based on functionalized porous silicon layers. The development of this optical sensor will be used to develop breath analyzing set-up with high accuracy for non-invasive, real-time and point-of-care disease diagnosis and metabolic status. At the end of the project, we will provide a highly sensitive and specific analytical device based on our optical platform with a technology at the TRL 4.

In France, the building sector is the most energy consuming sector (43% of total energy), with 65% of this part directly linked to HVAC systems. The POCOMA project aims at reducing this energy consumption by shifting the problem of thermal comfort from the building scale to the level of the person through the design of heating or cooling textile. We propose to design polymer membranes that modify the mid-IR properties of the textile to which they are attached, hence acting on the main heat transfer mechanism of the human body at rest. In this context, we will study two different structures, which can also be coupled: polymer membranes loaded with nano or even micro particles and membranes structured with photonic crystals at mid-IR wavelengths. The consortium already has expertise in this field, so, rather than the proof of principle that has already been carried out previously, we are aiming to obtain demonstrators with a TRL5 compatible with the application (materials, size and process). The presence of the DAMART company, which is well known in the field, grants that the specific constraints linked to clothing application and industrial production will be considered at each stage of this project. POCOMA is composed of four parts: modelling of the membranes, fabrication at laboratory scale and characterization of membranes properties, but also an industrialization aspect with research into textile functionalization and structuration processes compatible with the industrial scale. Mid-IR optical and thermal behaviour of the membrane will be predicted by their simulation, as a function of their microstructure and/or charge loading. Models established in previous work will be used here but will be enhanced and pushed towards new possibilities, such as increasing the size of the nanoparticles beyond the micron, thus approaching the wavelength of interest, or taking into account the effect of humidity on the optical and thermal properties. Dealing the manufacturing part, the main challenge is to use processes that can be industrialised afterwards. Thus "layer by layer" deposition process for charged membranes and "hot embossing" process for microstructured membranes will be mainly focused here. However, other solutions allowing the rapid production of samples will also be used. In addition, electrospinning will also be studied as a way of to combine the two strategies to produced microstructured-particles loaded-membranes. The characterisation aspect will be organised on the one hand around the determination of the characteristics (optical complex index) of the materials in the mid-infrared, a little-explored field that is nevertheless necessary for the simulation of our structures. On the other hand, the membranes and membrane/textile complexes fabricated will also be qualified with regard to their optical and thermal properties and the results of these characterizations will be compared with simulation. In order to be able to qualitatively characterize small samples produced in the laboratory, the development of a thermal characterization set-up with enhanced performance (sensitivity) will be undertaken in the framework of this project. Finally, the transition to sizes sample and structures compatible with standardised tests will be addressed. The functionalization of textiles by microstructured membranes will be carried out either by lamination on textiles of already structured membranes, or by polymer-coating on textile followed by plate to late or roll to roll hot embossing. This later is more compatible with the textile industry. DAMART will then qualify the product demonstrators in terms of thermal efficiency, comfort and resistance to use.