BITS Pilani and CMTI develop room-temperature infrared sensor using carbon nanotubes and zinc oxide, cutting cooling needs and power use

Researchers from BITS Pilani Hyderabad and CMTI Bengaluru have built an infrared sensor that works at room temperature without bulky cooling systems. The sensor uses a hybrid of single-walled carbon nanotubes and zinc oxide nanoparticles, delivering a resistance change of over 4200% under infrared light and detecting signals from up to 1.2 meters away. It runs on very low power and uses a manufacturing process compatible with existing semiconductor fabrication. Eliminating cooling hardware reduces weight and power consumption, making the sensor suitable for aerospace, autonomous vehicles, industrial safety, and wearable health devices. The team says the materials are inexpensive and widely available, which could lower the cost of high-performance infrared detection. The work was accepted for publication in Sensors and Actuators A: Physical. This innovation points to more efficient, scalable sensing technologies that could support energy savings and broader deployment of environmental monitoring and automation systems. It also highlights the role of academia-industry collaboration in advancing low-carbon hardware.