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This thesis describes the development and characterisation of palladium optical coatings for hydrogen sensing. The main aim of the thesis was to optimise an optically interrogated palladium coated substrate to detect hydrogen at concentrations less than 1% in humid conditions (50-80%). An optical set up was constructed to investigate the change in the coatings in transmission at 650 nm on exposure to varying hydrogen concentrations in dry and wet conditions. Three different optical substrates; Polymer Optical Fibre (POF), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and glass were evaluated to determine the best support for palladium; criteria of selection were based on hydrogen detection performance in dry and humid condition (50%). PMMA was shown to be the ideal support as effect of humidity on hydrogen detection was minimal. Palladium was deposited by sputter coating technique and the coating thickness demonstrates a dependence on the deposition time and position of the substrate inside the coating chamber. The coating developed showed a response time of 1s at 5%H2, a detection range of 0-9.1% with a demonstrated detection limit of 200 parts per million (ppm) and a predicted limit of detection of 15 ppm. The rate of hydrogen detection was proposed to be diffusion limited for coating thickness up to the threshold thickness. At thicknesses less than the threshold thickness, the rate limiting step was related to the binding force between the coating and the support. The coating performance was unaffected by cross sensitive gases such as hydrogen sulphide, carbon monoxide, methane and ethene. In the presence of Relative Humidity (50-80%), the coating reached a limit of detection at 0.1% H2. However, over exposure to humidity lead to temperature effect which was compensated using a temperature compensation model developed. The surface of the coating developed was characterised by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and revealed that the coating developed is unaffected by the tests carried out through the PhD.

Continuous monitoring of physiological parameters such as pH and oxygen (O2) are of great importance in determining the health status of a patient. Arterial blood gas analysis is a current clinical method used to measure pH, PCO2, PO2, and the concentration of variety of ions, typically with blood withdrawn from an artery. The need for robust, and a rapidly responding technology to enable bed-side monitoring has driven considerable efforts to produce better sensor devices. Optical sensing systems have experienced rapid growth, with drivers including low-cost optical fibres, and the availability of miniature optical set-ups (light sources, detectors, etc.). Herein, polymer-based optical fibre sensors for pH and O2 sensing were developed. The pH and/or oxygen reporters were immobilised at the end of an optical fibre by photo-polymerisation, and their performance in measuring pH and O2 concentration investigated. pH sensing was based on fluorescence detection using single excitation/single emission (Chapter 2), and single excitation/dual emission (Chapter 3). O2 sensing was based on the luminescence quenching of metalloporphyrins by oxygen (Chapter 4). In the last chapter, the in vivo applicability of an O2 sensor was investigated by measuring O2 level changes inside an ex vivo lung.

A novel antenna effect is demonstrated in arrays of 500, 200 and 100 silicon nanowires embedded in silicon dioxide. The gratings are analyzed using spectral and polarisation resolved photocurrent microscopy. Resonant enhancements in the electric field and photocurrent response are observed at multiple wavelengths corresponding to coupling of incident radiation into the grating's multiple-scattering electromagnetic modes. The photoresponse retains the sinusoidal polarisation anisotropy expected in single nanowires. The resonances are modeled using electromagnetic scattering theory and show excellent agreement with measurement. An experimental quality factor of Q=10 was measured for the gratings, exceeding that of a single wire, but lower than expected from theory. The difference is ascribed to the finite length of the wires and their termination at ohmic contacts. Strategies to improve Q are discussed, and a grating is presented to resonantly enhance light detection at red, green and blue wavelengths for application as a colour imaging sensor.

A novel antenna effect is demonstrated in arrays of 500, 200 and 100 silicon nanowires embedded in silicon dioxide. The gratings are analyzed using spectral and polarisation resolved photocurrent microscopy. Resonant enhancements in the electric field and photocurrent response are observed at multiple wavelengths corresponding to coupling of incident radiation into the grating's multiple-scattering electromagnetic modes. The photoresponse retains the sinusoidal polarisation anisotropy expected in single nanowires. The resonances are modeled using electromagnetic scattering theory and show excellent agreement with measurement. An experimental quality factor of Q=10 was measured for the gratings, exceeding that of a single wire, but lower than expected from theory. The difference is ascribed to the finite length of the wires and their termination at ohmic contacts. Strategies to improve Q are discussed, and a grating is presented to resonantly enhance light detection at red, green and blue wavelengths for application as a colour imaging sensor.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Agronomy / David B. Mengel / Nitrogen (N) management is one of the most recognizable components of farming both within and outside the world of agriculture. Interest over the past decade has greatly increased in improving N management systems in corn (Zea mays) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) to have high NUE, high yield, and be environmentally sustainable. Nine winter wheat experiments were conducted across seven locations from 2011 through 2013. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impacts of fall-winter, Feekes 4, Feekes 7, and Feekes 9 N applications on winter wheat grain yield, grain protein, and total grain N uptake. Nitrogen treatments were applied as single or split applications in the fall-winter, and top-dressed in the spring at Feekes 4, Feekes 7, and Feekes 9 with applied N rates ranging from 0 to 134 kg ha[superscript]-1. Results indicate that Feekes 7 and 9 N applications provide more optimal combinations of grain yield, grain protein levels, and fertilizer N recovered in the grain when compared to comparable rates of N applied in the fall-winter or at Feekes 4. Winter wheat N management studies from 2006 through 2013 were utilized to develop sensor-based N recommendation algorithms for winter wheat in Kansas. Algorithm RosieKat v.2.6 was designed for multiple N application strategies and utilized N reference strips for establishing N response potential. Algorithm NRS v1.5 addressed single top-dress N applications and does not require a N reference strip. In 2013, field validations of both algorithms were conducted at eight locations across Kansas. Results show algorithm RK v2.6 consistently provided highly efficient N recommendations for improving NUE, while achieving high grain yield and grain protein. Without the use of the N reference strip, NRS v1.5 performed statistically equal to the KSU soil test N recommendation in regards to grain yield but with lower applied N rates. Six corn N fertigation experiments were conducted at KSU irrigated experiment fields from 2012 through 2014 to evaluate the previously developed KSU sensor-based N recommendation algorithm in corn N fertigation systems. Results indicate that the current KSU corn algorithm was effective at achieving high yields, but has the tendency to overestimate N requirements. To optimize sensor-based N recommendations for N fertigation systems, algorithms must be specifically designed for these systems to take advantage of their full capabilities, thus allowing implementation of high NUE N management systems.

Pillar-array based optical cavities have unique properties, e.g., having a large and connected low dielectric index space (normally air space), exhibiting a large band gap for transverse magnetic modes, having a large percent of electric field energy in air and standing on a substrate. These properties make them well suitable for applications such as optical sensing and terahertz quantum cascade lasers. However there has been rare research in it due to the common belief that pillar arrays have excessive leakage to the substrate. With careful design, we provided several methods to reduce such a leakage and experimentally proved a high quality factor (Q) pillar-array based cavity is practical. We also explored the usage of such a cavity for optical sensing. Numerical methods such as finite-difference time-domain and plane-wave expansion were used in the design of the cavity. Then in microwave spectrum, cavities consisting of dielectric rods were used to test the validity of the theory. Additionally, we observed that a high-Q cavity for modes above light line is feasible and it is very suitable to measure the optical absorption of materials introduce inside the mode volume. Finally in the optical domain, pillar arrays were fabricated in Si/SiO2 material system and measured. Q as high as 27,600 was shown and when applying accurate refractive indices, for every delta n = 0.01, the peak wavelength shifted as large as 3.5 nm, testifying the ultra sensitivity of the cavity to the environmental dielectric change.

Pillar-array based optical cavities have unique properties, e.g., having a large and connected low dielectric index space (normally air space), exhibiting a large band gap for transverse magnetic modes, having a large percent of electric field energy in air and standing on a substrate. These properties make them well suitable for applications such as optical sensing and terahertz quantum cascade lasers. However there has been rare research in it due to the common belief that pillar arrays have excessive leakage to the substrate. With careful design, we provided several methods to reduce such a leakage and experimentally proved a high quality factor (Q) pillar-array based cavity is practical. We also explored the usage of such a cavity for optical sensing. Numerical methods such as finite-difference time-domain and plane-wave expansion were used in the design of the cavity. Then in microwave spectrum, cavities consisting of dielectric rods were used to test the validity of the theory. Additionally, we observed that a high-Q cavity for modes above light line is feasible and it is very suitable to measure the optical absorption of materials introduce inside the mode volume. Finally in the optical domain, pillar arrays were fabricated in Si/SiO2 material system and measured. Q as high as 27,600 was shown and when applying accurate refractive indices, for every delta n = 0.01, the peak wavelength shifted as large as 3.5 nm, testifying the ultra sensitivity of the cavity to the environmental dielectric change.

<p>Data acquisition and diagnostics for chemical and biological analytes are critical to medicine, security, and the environment. Miniaturized and portable sensing systems are especially important for medical and environmental diagnostics and monitoring applications. Chip scale integrated planar photonic sensing systems that can combine optical, electrical and fluidic functions are especially attractive to address sensing applications, because of their high sensitivity, compactness, high surface specificity after surface customization, and easy patterning for reagents. The purpose of this dissertation research is to make progress toward a chip scale integrated sensing system that realizes a high functionality optical system integration with a digital microfluidics platform for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. </p><p>This thesis describes the details of the design, fabrication, experimental measurement, and theoretical modeling of chip scale optical sensing systems integrated with electrowetting-on-dielectric digital microfluidic systems. Heterogeneous integration, a technology that integrates multiple optical thin film semiconductor devices onto arbitrary host substrates, has been utilized for this thesis. Three different integrated sensing systems were explored and realized. First, an integrated optical sensor based upon the heterogeneous integration of an InGaAs thin film photodetector with a digital microfluidic system was demonstrated. This integrated sensing system detected the chemiluminescent signals generated by a pyrogallol droplet solution mixed with H2O2 delivered by the digital microfluidic system. </p><p>Second, polymer microresonator sensors were explored. Polymer microresonators are useful components for chip scale integrated sensing because they can be integrated in a planar format using standard semiconductor manufacturing technologies. Therefore, as a second step, chip scale optical microdisk/ring sensors integrated with digital microfluidic systems were fabricated and measured. . The response of the microdisk and microring sensing systems to the change index of refraction, due to the glucose solutions in different concentrations presented by the digital microfluidic to the resonator surface, were measured to be 95 nm/RIU and 87nm/RIU, respectively. This is a first step toward chip-scale, low power, fully portable integrated sensing systems. </p><p>Third, a chip scale sensing system, which is composed of a planar integrated optical microdisk resonator and a thin film InGaAs photodetector, integrated with a digital microfluidic system, was fabricated and experimentally characterized. The measured sensitivity of this sensing system was 69 nm/RIU. Estimates of the resonant spectrum for the fabricated systems show good agreement with the theoretical calculations. These three systems yielded results that have led to a better understanding of the design and operation of chip scale optical sensing systems integrated with microfluidics.</p> / Dissertation