SiC nano for PicoGeo

As populations increase, more and more people are living near volcanoes and seismic faults. Accurate and precise measurement of slow-moving and small strain transients preceding volcanic eruptions and earthquakes is critical to the protection of infrastructure and human lives. Silicon carbide (SiC), particularly in a three-layer stacked cubic crystalline form (3C-SiC), has gained increasing attention as a highly sensitive mechanical strain sensor. The EU-funded SiC nano for PicoGeo project is developing a novel ground strain measurement system for geohazard monitoring that exploits this unique material. It has the potential to detect strain with approximately 100 times greater sensitivity than current technology. Use of fibre lasers for the all-optical closed-loop operation will enable electronic readout from locations remote to the sensor location.