HyperSight - Nanophotonics for ultrafast remote material ID in harsh environments

Prof. Haim Suchowski, Chief Science Officer, Spiral Photonics, Tel Aviv, Israel (haimsu@tauex.tau.ac.il )
Dr. Daniel Beitner, R&d, Spiral Photonics, Tel Aviv, Israel
Ziv Livne, Ceo, Spiral Photonics, Tel Aviv, Israel

The infrared (IR) spectral range (1.5-12 µm) encompasses the fundamental vibrational modes of most molecular bonds, providing an exceptionally rich basis for chemical selectivity and structural identification. Despite its central role in analytical chemistry, this spectral window has remained technologically constrained due to the intrinsic limitations of IR detectors, which typically suffer from high noise, narrow bandwidth, cryogenic requirements, and limited spatial resolution.

We introduce a new analytical platform that overcomes these challenges by employing adiabatic frequency conversion to convert IR radiation into the visible domain, where it can be efficiently detected using mature, low‑noise, high‑resolution silicon sensors. The core innovation lies in an adiabatic quasi‑phase‑matching architecture that sustains efficient nonlinear conversion across a remarkably broad spectral and angular bandwidth. This adiabatic design preserves both the spectral content and spatial coherence of the original IR field, thereby enabling simultaneous hyperspectral imaging and broadband spectroscopy with unprecedented sensitivity and temporal response.

This approach supports wide‑field imaging across the mid‑IR band (current Spiral focus), enabling quantitative mapping of molecular absorption features with high spatial and spectral fidelity. When operated in spectroscopic mode, the platform captures multiple vibrational bands within a single acquisition, opening new opportunities for broadband chemical fingerprinting, real‑time reaction monitoring, and characterization of molecular mixtures, functional materials, and thin films.

By translating the vibrational richness of the mid‑IR into the visible, adiabatic frequency conversion effectively transforms silicon cameras into powerful chemical sensors. Building on this foundation, Spiral can demonstrate real‑time, in‑situ analysis of industrial gas mixtures, VOCs, and hazardous signatures, highlighting applications in process optimization, environmental monitoring, and detection of energetic and explosive compounds. This technology redefines mid‑IR analytics by combining molecular spectroscopy with the speed, robustness, and scalability of modern optical imaging.

Short Biography of Presenting Author

Prof. Haim Suchowski is a leading physicist and innovator in the field of ultrafast optics, nano-photonics and nonlinear spectroscopy. He is a faculty member at Tel Aviv University, where he heads the Ultrafast and Quantum Optics Laboratory, and has published extensively on various light-matter interactions topics, including time-domain spectroscopy, nonlinear and quantum optics, metasurfaces, and adiabatic frequency conversion . His work has appeared in top-tier journals including Nature Photonics, Science, and Physical Review Letters.

One of Prof. Suchowski's most influential scientific contributions is the invention of the adiabatic Sum-Frequency Generation (SFG) crystal, a novel optical element that enables robust, broadband, and efficient conversion of infrared (IR) photons into visible (VIS) photons. This breakthrough resolved a long-standing challenge in nonlinear optics by creating a phase-matching mechanism that is highly tolerant to variations in wavelength and temperature, opening the door to compact, ultrafast, and field-deployable mid-infrared spectrometers and imaging.

Building on this innovation, Prof. Suchowski co-founded Spiral Photonics, where he currently serves as Chief Science Officer. Spiral leverages his academic research to develop cutting-edge spectroscopic imaging technologies that deliver real-time, remote, and in-situ analysis of materials in the mid-infrared (0.6-14 µm) spectral range. This novel approach enables ultra-fast material detection and chemical composition analysis in industrial environments without the need for contact or sampling. Prof. Suchowski's mission is to bring advanced scientific discoveries into real-world impact across oil&gas, energy, pharma, and chemical manufacturing sectors.