Methods, apparatuses, and systems associated with a sample testing device are provided. For example, an example sample testing device may include a substrate layer defining a bottom surface of the sample testing device, as well as a waveguide disposed on the substate layer and includes at least one reference channel and at least one sample channel.

An inspecting instrument to be used for measuring, using a test substance-containing solution containing a test substance and a liquid, which is contained in the test substance-containing liquid. The inspecting instrument includes a wall that has a periodic structure resulting from a plurality of recesses or protrusions, the plurality of recesses or the plurality of protrusions including a refractive index adjusting layer on surfaces thereof, the refractive index adjusting layer being a layer having a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the test substance-containing solution or being a silicon layer. A method of measuring the concentration of a test substance in a liquid, measured using the inspecting instrument, has high accuracy.

A sensor including: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposing to each other, the first surface being recessed to form a first groove, and the substrate further including at least two through holes penetrating through the second surface and a bottom surface of the first groove; a dielectric layer disposed to cover the first surface, and opposing to the first groove; a metal layer disposed on the bottom surface of the first groove and avoiding openings of the through holes on the bottom surface of the first groove, wherein the dielectric layer, the metal layer and an interval between the dielectric layer and the metal layer form a slit optical waveguide; and a grating formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the grating is used to implement wave vector matching of an incident light with a mode of the slit optical waveguide.

A sensor including: a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposing to each other, the first surface being recessed to form a first groove, and the substrate further including at least two through holes penetrating through the second surface and a bottom surface of the first groove; a dielectric layer disposed to cover the first surface, and opposing to the first groove; a metal layer disposed on the bottom surface of the first groove and avoiding openings of the through holes on the bottom surface of the first groove, wherein the dielectric layer, the metal layer and an interval between the dielectric layer and the metal layer form a slit optical waveguide; and a grating formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the grating is used to implement wave vector matching of an incident light with a mode of the slit optical waveguide.

According to one embodiment, a sample inspection apparatus includes a photodetection circuitry, an image sensor, processing circuitry, and an output interface. The photodetection circuitry has light incident on an optical waveguide in an inspection container and detects the light having propagated within the optical waveguide and coming out of the optical waveguide. The image sensor acquires an image signal for the optical waveguide, using scattered light originated from the light propagating within the optical waveguide. The processing circuitry acquires one or more inspection index values based on at least one of an output of the photodetection circuitry or an output of the image sensor. The output interface outputs a result of processing by the processing circuitry.

Disclosed is a method of measuring a surface refractive index of a strengthened glass including causing light to enter a surface layer of the strengthened glass through a liquid provided with a refractive index equivalent to that of a surface of the surface layer; a process of causing the light to be emitted from the strengthened glass through the liquid; converting two types of light components into two types of emission line sequences; capturing an image of the two types of emission line sequences; measuring positions of respective emission lines of the two types of emission line sequences from the image; and calculating refractive indexes of a surface of the strengthened glass corresponding to the two types of light components, or refractive index distributions of the strengthened glass in a depth direction from the surface corresponding to the two types of light components.

A sensor for hydrocarbons uses a waveguide with a first cladding layer, a second cladding layer with a measurement region with hydrophobic measurement material, and a core between the first and second cladding layers. Light is coupled into the waveguide. The measurement material is exposed to the hydrocarbon allowing the hydrocarbon to diffuse into it and change refractive index of the material, which changes intensity of light evanescently coupled through the first cladding layer. Light coupled through the first cladding layer is measured to determine exposure of the sensor to the hydrocarbons.

A photodiode includes semiconductor layers and a gate insulating layer provided on a buried insulating layer formed on a substrate and has a diffraction grating portion in which a plurality of groove portions are formed in a two-dimensional lattice shape, on the gate insulating layer. Measurement light is guided by an optical system including a photoelastic modulator and is incident on the photodiode. The measurement light is emitted from the light source device in a state of being linearly polarized light having a predetermined wavelength and is converted at a predetermined frequency by the optical system such that states in which the measurement light becomes linearly polarized light beams of two orthogonal directions are repeated. In addition, electric signals from the photodiode in the state in which the measurement light becomes the linearly polarized light beams of the two orthogonal directions are lock-in detected.

Disclosed is a method of measuring a surface refractive index of a strengthened glass including causing light to enter a surface layer of the strengthened glass through a liquid provided with a refractive index equivalent to that of a surface of the surface layer; a process of causing the light to be emitted from the strengthened glass through the liquid; converting two types of light components into two types of emission line sequences; capturing an image of the two types of emission line sequences; measuring positions of respective emission lines of the two types of emission line sequences from the image; and calculating refractive indexes of a surface of the strengthened glass corresponding to the two types of light components, or refractive index distributions of the strengthened glass in a depth direction from the surface corresponding to the two types of light components.

A chip-scale, reusable sensor can detect aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX), rapidly in water without sample preparation. The device is capable of real-time, continuous monitoring for BTEX solutes, which diffuse into a film, such as a polymer, on the sensors surface. In operation BTEX analytes concentrate in the film, causing an increase in refractive index, which modulates evanescent coupling into the chips integrated photodetector array. Integration of the photodetector array simplifies system instrumentation and permits incorporation of an on-chip photocurrent reference region in the immediate vicinity of the sensing region, reducing drift due to temperature fluctuations. In some examples, the chip responds linearly for BTEX concentrations between 1 ppm and 30 ppm, with a limit of detection of 359 ppb, 249 ppb, and 103 ppb for benzene, toluene, and xylene in water, respectively.