Open AccessOptimal design of a spectral readout type planar waveguide-mode sensor with a monolithic structure
Author(s) -
Xiaomin Wang,
Makoto Fujimaki,
Takafumi Kato,
Kohji Nomura,
Kunio Awazu,
Yoshimichi Ohki
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.020205
Subject(s) - waveguide , planar , optics , materials science , sensitivity (control systems) , radiation mode , optoelectronics , biosensor , single mode optical fiber , physics , optical fiber , computer science , electronic engineering , nanotechnology , engineering , computer graphics (images)
Optical planar waveguide-mode sensor is a promising candidate for highly sensitive biosensing techniques in fields such as protein adsorption, receptor-ligand interaction and surface bacteria adhesion. To make the waveguide-mode sensor system more realistic, a spectral readout type waveguide sensor is proposed to take advantage of its high speed, compactness and low cost. Based on our previously proposed monolithic waveguide-mode sensor composed of a SiO2 waveguide layer and a single crystalline Si layer [1], the mechanism for achieving high sensitivity is revealed by numerical simulations. The optimal achievable sensitivities for a series of waveguide structures are summarized in a contour map, and they are found to be better than those of previously reported angle-scan type waveguide sensors.