The research interest on gas sensors has been increased during the last decade due to their wide use to a variety of sectors such as environment, air quality, health, energy, ‘smart’ food packaging etc. as well as to the on-line monitoring of the corresponding gases through the Internet of Things (IoT). The sensing element is the “heart” of a sensing device, thus it determines the performance of the sensor. Plenty of materials has been investigated as sensing elements against various gases, using different measurement techniques.
In this presentation, the synthesis, characterization and investigation of gas sensing performance of materials such as metal oxide semiconductors (MOS), metal oxide heterostructures, perovskites as well as of metal coordinated thiocyanates will be presented. The sensing technique that was mainly used was the conductometric one, however the results of both surface acoustic waves (SAW) and optical gas sensing methods will also be showed.

Terahertz (THz) photonics provides unique capabilities for probing and controlling material properties on ultrafast timescales. THz radiation directly couples to low-energy excitations such as carrier transport, phonons, and collective electronic modes, while high-field excitation enables access to nonlinear and non-equilibrium regimes of light-matter interaction. These properties make THz photonics a powerful tool for investigating advanced materials and fundamental physical processes.
In this seminar I will present advances in the generation of high-field THz radiation using filament-based and nonlinear optical approaches, enabling significant enhancement of field strength and access to extreme electromagnetic regimes. These capabilities have been applied to investigate ultrafast carrier dynamics and nonlinear optical responses in metamaterials and graphene, as well as light-matter interaction in layered magnetic quantum materials such as CrSBr. Building on these capabilities, THz probing can be extended to the nanoscale using scattering-type near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM), which enables spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit. This approach allows direct visualization of localized electromagnetic modes and ultrafast dynamics with nanometer-scale resolution. Examples include nanoscale imaging of THz-driven plasmon propagation in the linear regime, as well as THz-induced ferroelectric switching driven by strong localized field enhancement at the tip. Together, these results show how high-field excitation and nanoscale near-field probing form complementary capabilities within terahertz photonics, enabling access to nonlinear regimes while providing nanoscale resolution of material dynamics. This framework provides versatile tools for investigating complex materials and advancing nanoscale photonic sensing.

Marine biominerals preserve elemental records that support paleoenvironmental reconstruction, archaeological interpretation, and fisheries management. This work applies Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for rapid and minimally destructive spatial mapping of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in marine shells and fish otoliths The methodology enables spatially resolved analysis with minimal sample preparation, suitable for sensitive archaeological and environmental materials. Elemental mapping reveals signatures linked to temperature variability, biomineralization processes, and post-depositional alterations. Preliminary Sr/Ca mapping in otoliths from Atlantic salmon and European seabass demonstrates the capability of LIBS to support migration and population studies.

At IESL, this work forms part of a broader research direction focused on multimodal photonic sensing systems. LIBS elemental diagnostics can be combined with Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) for selective gas detection and with optical imaging techniques to create integrated environmental monitoring platforms. The objective is to develop scalable, mid-to-high TRL photonic systems that move beyond laboratory validation toward field deployment. This integrated approach strengthens IESL’s role in environmental diagnostics, climate resilience research, and competitive European consortia where technological maturity and operational impact are key evaluation criteria.