Figure of Merit for Gas Overtone Spectroscopy on a Chip in Near-Infrared (NIR)

The development of compact, CMOS-compatible gas sensors is critical for advancing real-time environmental monitoring and industrial diagnostics. In this study, we present a detailed numerical investigation of integrated photonic waveguide designs-such as ridge and slot-optimized for overtone-based gas spectroscopy in the near-infrared range. By evaluating both the evanescent-field confinement and curvature-induced losses across multiple silicon-on-insulator platforms, we identify optimal geometries that maximize light-analyte interactions while minimizing bending attenuation. Our findings provide essential design guidelines for high-performance, low-footprint gas sensors.