Patent ID: 11860119
Assignee: UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL PAULISTA “JULIO DE MESQUITA FILHO”—UNESP
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A sensing method, comprising:
providing a time-dependent electrical signal across a conductive connection between a first terminal and a second terminal of a sensor,
the first terminal coupled with the second terminal via the conductive connection such that no biasing potential exists between the first and second terminals,
the conductive connection quantum capacitively coupled to an environment via a density of states, DOS, sensitive mesoscopic probe element having an electroactive surface for exposure to the environment,
the mesoscopic probe element having at least one dimension less than 15 nm and an accessible DOS that is quantum capacitively coupled to the conductive connection,
wherein a quantum capacitance Cq varies as a function of the DOS occupancy of the mesoscopic probe element,
wherein an interaction between the mesoscopic probe element and a measurand in the environment affects the DOS of the mesoscopic probe element,
wherein the conductive connection having an associated resistive-capacitive relaxation time based on an capacitive property and an resistive property of the sensor;

receiving a time-dependent response signal from the sensor;
analysing the time-dependent response signal with respect to the time-dependent electrical signal;
determining, based on the analysis, a change in the relaxation time as a result of a change in the DOS of the mesoscopic probe element, wherein the change in the relaxation time is correlated with an interaction between the electroactive surface and the measurand of the environment.