BEIJING, Sept. 28 (China Economic Net) - A Pakistani researcher working with China’s National Nanotech Innovation Center in Guangzhou has participated in the development of a potentially cost-effective approach to solar-blind ultraviolet-C (UVC) detection.

Dr. Ali Imran, a Pakistani researcher and Director of Research and Development at the center, has been involved in the research and development work behind the device architecture. The team focused on optimizing the spatial arrangement of interdigitated electrodes on the lithium niobate surface to improve the collection of photo-generated carriers.

Ali told China Economic Net that the research uses bulk lithium niobate crystals and an optimized electrode design to address some of the cost and manufacturing challenges associated with conventional solar-blind UVC photodetectors. The technology could provide a simpler pathway for developing UVC sensing devices for applications including environmental monitoring, flame detection and industrial safety.

“I explored lithium niobate as an alternative substrate. While the material has attractive optical and electronic properties, the rapid recombination of photo-generated carriers can limit its effectiveness in conventional detector configurations”, he stated.

The research team addressed this challenge through device-level structural engineering. The interdigitated electrodes consist of alternating finger-like structures positioned at carefully controlled distances. When UVC radiation reaches the exposed crystal surface, it generates charge carriers that can be driven toward the electrodes by the electric field.

The potential applications extend beyond laboratory detection. UVC sensing technologies can support industrial monitoring, flame detection, environmental observation and other systems requiring precise ultraviolet measurements. Further development and manufacturing research will determine how effectively the lithium-niobate-based architecture can be scaled for commercial applications.