Low-cost sensors expand opportunities for practical plasma education

Plasma science has grown over the past few decades in scope and importance, and plasmas are now used in many industries including electronics manufacturing, metallurgy, and agriculture. Training a new generation of plasma scientists is vital for the growing field, but the high cost of equipment makes teaching students difficult.

Vargas et al. designed a collection of low-cost sensors and circuits for plasma experiments, providing easier access to education and training for future scientists.

Many essential pieces of equipment, such as high-voltage probes and optical emission spectrometers, can cost thousands of dollars each. A fully equipped laboratory can cost millions, preventing many students, particularly those from institutions with limited funding or developing countries, from gaining practical experience.

“Many researchers and educators are forced to rely solely on computer simulations rather than hands-on experiments,” said author Alessandro do Nascimento Vargas. “The high costs essentially create a two-tiered system where only well-funded institutions can provide comprehensive plasma education.”

In response to the issue, the researchers developed a set of alternative devices using low-cost and off-the-shelf components. They built a high-voltage probe capable of achieving 1000:1 attenuation — necessary for measuring the extreme voltages produced in plasma experiments — for under $10, a light sensor that can measure aggregate brightness for less than $3, and a current measurement tool that provides accurate readings for a fraction of the cost of industrial probes.

“By demonstrating that meaningful plasma experiments can be conducted with equipment costing under $120, we’re potentially opening doors for thousands of institutions previously excluded from practical plasma education,” said Vargas.

The authors are planning to develop low-cost devices to measure plasma temperature and gas composition and perform basic spectroscopy.

Source: “Low-cost sensors and circuits for plasma experiments: Characterizing power and illuminance,” by Alessandro do Nascimento Vargas, Victor Miller, Ali Mesbah, and Gabriele Neretti, APL Electronic Devices (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0280035 .