High Sensitivity Flame Sensor Based on PbS Colloidal Quantum Dots

Flame sensing and early fire detection are primary features in modern security and surveillance systems. Optical detection systems are widely developed and offer the highest sensitivity and selectivity but they are still expensive and show a high power budget. Here we propose a low-cost, low-power flame detector based on PbS colloidal quantum dots. We show detector operation with a 21 nW total power dissipation and the ability to detect the flame of a candle at 20 m with a 5 dB signal to noise ratio (SNR).