Methods and apparatuses for gas detection are disclosed, including providing a device comprising: a light source configured to emit light; an array of vertical photonic crystal waveguides (VPCWs), wherein the VPCWs of the array of VPCWs are configured to slow and guide the light; and a detector array, wherein the detectors of the detector array are configured to measure the intensity of the light passing through each of the VPCWs of the array of VPCWs; wherein the VPCWs of the array of VPCWs slow and guide light having a wavelength within the absorption bands of the one or more gas species to be detected; exposing the apparatus to a gaseous environment such that gas from the environment flows through the array of VPCWs; and reading values from the detectors of the detector array to identify the presence of the one or more gas species. Other embodiments are described and claimed.