Photonic crystal defect cavity biosensor
First Claim
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1. A photonic crystal biosensor comprising:
- an array of two-dimensional unit cells, each of said unit cells having a substrate and a multitude of raised portions arranged in a regular repeating pattern wherein said raised portions are separated from each other by adjacent void portions, said raised portions made from a material having a relatively high index of refraction n1 greater than that of water;
wherein each of said unit cells further comprises a defect wherein the regular repeating pattern of said raised portion separated by adjacent voids is modified such that at the defect said material having a relatively high index of refraction n1 occupies the space of one or more of the voids;
wherein a localized maximum of electromagnetic field intensity is produced in the region of said defect in response to incident light on said photonic crystal at a resonant frequency;
and wherein, during use, a fluid containing a sample to be tested is placed on said photonic crystal and contained in said void portions.
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Abstract
A biosensor is described having the form of a photonic crystal having defect cavities formed in a periodic pattern in the device. The invention provides a higher sensitivity and a greater degree of spatial localization of incoupled photons than previously reported photonic crystal biosensor devices.
96 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A photonic crystal biosensor comprising:
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an array of two-dimensional unit cells, each of said unit cells having a substrate and a multitude of raised portions arranged in a regular repeating pattern wherein said raised portions are separated from each other by adjacent void portions, said raised portions made from a material having a relatively high index of refraction n1 greater than that of water; wherein each of said unit cells further comprises a defect wherein the regular repeating pattern of said raised portion separated by adjacent voids is modified such that at the defect said material having a relatively high index of refraction n1 occupies the space of one or more of the voids; wherein a localized maximum of electromagnetic field intensity is produced in the region of said defect in response to incident light on said photonic crystal at a resonant frequency; and wherein, during use, a fluid containing a sample to be tested is placed on said photonic crystal and contained in said void portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of testing a sample, comprising the steps of:
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1) introducing a fluid sample onto a defect cavity photonic crystal biosensor, said biosensor comprising an array of two-dimensional unit cells, each of said unit cells having a substrate and a multitude of raised portions arranged in a regular repeating pattern wherein said raised portions are separated from each other by adjacent void portions, said raised portions made from a material having a relatively high index of refraction n1 greater than that of water; wherein each of said unit cells further comprises a defect wherein the regular repeating pattern of said raised portion separated by adjacent voids is modified such that at the defect said material having a relatively high index of refraction n1 occupies the space of one or more of the voids;
wherein a localized maximum of electromagnetic field intensity is produced in the region of said defect in response to incident light on said photonic crystal at a resonant frequency;2) illuminating said photonic crystal biosensor, and 3) determining the frequency of the peak wavelength of light either reflected from or transmitted through said photonic crystal biosensor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification