Provided herein are cartridges, packaged devices, and systems for improved nucleic acid sequencing. The cartridges, devices, and systems include a highly multiplexed optical chip comprising a plurality of nanoscale reaction regions that is configured to perform and report nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The chips are, in some embodiments, packaged for use in analytical nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The chips may be attached to a printed circuit board, may be surrounded by a protective enclosure, may include a flow cell, and may include optical features to minimize or block photobleaching of the sequencing reagents and background fluorescent signals. Also provided are analytical systems for nucleic acid sequencing that comprise the disclosed cartridges and packaged devices. The systems comprise an analytical instrument with electronic, optical, mechanical, fluidic, and/or thermal connectors designed to interact with the corresponding connectors on an associated cartridge or packaged device in a highly precise but reversible manner.

A photonic system and a method for analysing target molecules that emit radiation upon being exposed to excitation radiation includes a radiation source configured to provide excitation radiation with a predetermined polarization state, and a photonics chip that includes an analysis region for exposing target molecules to radiation from the radiation source, so that target molecules with a dipole component along the direction of polarization of the excitation radiation emit radiation with an angular profile. A waveguide structure captures radiation emitted from the analysis region by target molecules. The waveguide structure is configured to extract the emitted radiation in different positions in accordance with the angular profile of the emitted radiation for sampling the angular profile.

An apparatus for sensing particulate matter in a fluid includes a substrate; and an integrated circuit electrically connected to the substrate, the integrated circuit including a photodetector. The apparatus includes a filter assembly including a particle filter aligned with the photodetector, and a filter housing for the particle filter, the filter housing defining a flow path for fluid through the particle filter. The apparatus includes a light source electrically connected to the substrate and positioned to illuminate the particle filter.

A photonic integrated circuit for an interferometric sensor includes a first waveguide called sensitive arm wherein a first portion of the light radiation is propagated, the sensitive arm being exposed to a first ambient medium and to at least one compound to be detected inducing a modification of the local refractive index perceived by the evanescent part of the electromagnetic field of the first portion of the light radiation, and a second waveguide called reference arm wherein a second portion of the light radiation is propagated, an encapsulation layer encapsulating the reference arm, the encapsulation layer being impermeable to the compound or compounds to be detected, so that the reference arm is exposed only to a second ambient medium, substantially of the same nature as the first ambient medium and without the compound to be detected and interferometric sensor comprising a photonic integrated circuit according to the invention.

Arrays of integrated analytical devices and their methods for production are provided. The arrays are useful in the analysis of highly multiplexed optical reactions in large numbers at high densities, including biochemical reactions, such as nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The devices allow the highly sensitive discrimination of optical signals using features such as spectra, amplitude, and time resolution, or combinations thereof. The devices include an integrated diffractive beam shaping element that provides for the spatial separation of light emitted from the optical reactions.

A method for determining a property of an object positioned on a photo-sensitive polyimide layer, wherein the photo-sensitive polyimide layer is positioned on a lower layer that is a radiation reflecting layer, the method may include illuminating, by an illumination unit, an area of the photo-sensitive polyimide layer with first ultraviolet radiation; sensing, by a first sensor, a first reflected ultraviolet radiation that was reflected from the area; and determining, by a processor, based at least in part on the first reflected ultraviolet radiation, the property of the object.

Small form-factor, sensitive and efficient waveguide devices capable of nondispersive infrared gas or liquid sensing and photocatalysis are designed based on photonic integrated circuits. The devices comprise three-dimensional optical waveguiding structures and preferably integrated light sources and photodetectors. Since the length of the waveguide scales with the number of waveguiding layers, a plurality of layers is used to design high-sensitivity sensors and high-efficiency photocatalysis devices. In one embodiment, titanium dioxide absorbs ultraviolet light to generate an electron-hole pair which, in the presence of water and oxygen, generates radicals that react with and mineralize undesirable organic compounds, such as the lipid membranes that envelope and protect viruses such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), allowing to pry apart the membranes and destroy the cells. Such photocatalysis devices can be used in airflow systems designed to circulate the air of essentially confined spaces through these devices to create air-disinfecting systems.

Arrays of integrated analytical devices and their methods for production are provided. The arrays are useful in the analysis of highly multiplexed optical reactions in large numbers at high densities, including biochemical reactions, such as nucleic acid sequencing reactions. The integrated devices allow the highly sensitive discrimination of optical signals using features such as spectra, amplitude, and time resolution, or combinations thereof. The arrays and methods of the invention make use of silicon chip fabrication and manufacturing techniques developed for the electronics industry and highly suited for miniaturization and high throughput.

Light detectors that combine field emission with light focusing by surface plasmon polaritons. Methods and devices that allow detection and measurement of light at high frequencies in the THz range are described. The disclosed devices include plasmonic metal contacts with a narrow nanometer-sized gap to couple an optical waveguide mode into a plasmonic mode thereby generating filed emission currents by biasing the contacts.

An apparatus includes multiple photonic integrated circuit (PIC) optical spectrometers, and an imaging plane coupled to the PIC optical spectrometers. Each PIC optical spectrometer includes multiple semiconductor chip layers. Each semiconductor chip layer includes multiple arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and a number of on-chip optical detectors.