Sentea unveils the world’s first FBG fiber sensor Interrogator-on-Chip with integrated light source

Sentea, a spin-off of imec and Ghent University, has announced a breakthrough in the development of a single-chip Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) read-out system. The chip, based on silicon photonics technology, is the first of its kind to include an integrated light source. This breakthrough enables unprecedented sensing accuracy in a compact and cost-effective package, making FBG sensing more accessible and suitable for high-volume applications in a wide range of industries, including structural health monitoring, industrial automation, energy and automotive sectors.

FBG fiber sensing is renowned for its precision and robustness in measuring parameters such as temperature, strain, and loads under harsh conditions. Despite the growing demand for accurate, real-time monitoring in many industries, the bulky and expensive nature of traditional optical readout systems has been a major barrier to broad adoption. The reliance on bulk optics has made these systems difficult to scale for large-volume applications. Sentea is already offering highly sensitive, robust and scalable read-out devices by using its unique silicon chip platform, and now elevates its fiber sensing technology further by integrating the light source on the silicon chip. This breakthrough allows for a single packaging step and significantly reduces the cost and size of read-out systems.

This technological leap is poised to impact a wide range of industries. In the automotive sector, the sensors’ supreme precision and reliability will enhance vehicle safety by enabling real-time monitoring of system health and performance. For civil engineering and infrastructure monitoring, this advancement ensures accurate detection of stress or strain in bridges, tunnels, and high-rise buildings, facilitating early interventions. In the energy sector, the sensors will enable superior monitoring and control of wind turbines and high- or medium voltage installations, contributing to improved safety, longer lifetime and more efficient capacity utilization.

“We’re thrilled to announce our latest breakthrough in FBG fiber sensing technology, enabling much more compact and cost-effective readout systems,” said Thijs Spuesens, CTO of Sentea. “This development marks a major milestone, as it not only enhances the performance of FBG sensors but also makes the technology more accessible to a broader range of industries at scale. We are excited to see how this innovation will transform structural health monitoring in construction, automotive, energy, and beyond.”