Materials and Device Architectures for Multifunctional Sensing in Harsh Environments: A Review
Sudhanshu Singh, Zunjarrao Kamble, Ranjna Kumari, Ghanshyam NejeExtreme environments, such as gas turbines, nuclear systems, and deep‐sea platforms, require sensors that can operate reliably under combined thermal, mechanical, and radiation stresses. This review provides a comprehensive and quantitatively supported synthesis of cutting‐edge sensor technologies (2018–2025) designed for extreme environments. It investigates materials, device architectures, and system‐integration strategies that facilitate operation under conditions such as high temperatures, pressures, radiation, corrosive media, hydrostatic loads, cryogenic conditions, and wireless power/data limitations. This review takes a holistic approach by integrating materials, device architectures, packaging, communication, and edge intelligence, rather than summarizing individual sensor types in isolation. It emphasizes a system‐level perspective that includes quantitative performance targets and manufacturability considerations. The synthesis of studies reveals unresolved integration bottlenecks and delineates immediate research directions to develop autonomous, field‐deployable, multifunctional sensor networks. A comprehensive comparison framework is presented, utilizing consistent performance descriptors, including temperature capability, sensitivity, radiation tolerance, wireless readout distance, and hermetic stability. In addition to device physics, the paper examines diverse packaging strategies, hybrid mechanisms for wireless power transfer and data transfer, and integrated data‐driven calibration methods utilizing statistical and machine‐learning models. Future directions suggest incorporating quantum sensing, neuromorphic computing, reconfigurable surfaces, and bio‐integrated platforms to develop autonomous, adaptive sensor networks.