Abstract
We present a periodically segmented waveguide Fabry-Pérot interferometer (PSW-FPI) intended to be used for tagless real-time chemical/ biological sensing through bulk-material interaction. The differential sensor detects changes in the refractive index (RI) of a sample regardless of its absolute RI value. Experiments with a series of sucrose solutions of various concentrations are compared with theoretical results, and a very good match is found between the two. The theoretical sensitivity limit for a 50-dB-signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) measurement system is estimated as δn = 3·10<sup>-7</sup>. For a 29-dB-SNR measurement system, a measured sensitivity limit of δn = 4·10<sup>-5</sup> is comparable with the previously reported sensitivities of label-free real-time optical biosensors (2·10<sup>-5</sup> -5·10<sup>-5</sup>). However, the total required sensing length (720 µm) of our PSW-FPI sensor is much shorter than that of the previously reported devices (9-20 mm).
© 2006 IEEE
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