A sensor for use in biosensing is disclosed. The sensor comprises a photonic crystal waveguide comprising a photonic crystal comprising holes in a layer of dielectric material and a waveguide in the photonic crystal. The sensor comprises at least one strip disposed on the photonic crystal waveguide, spaced apart along, and running across the photonic crystal waveguide so as to form respective strip cavities, each of the at least one strip including a respective layer of material for sensing presence of a respective analyte; and a slot running along the waveguide of the photonic crystal waveguide.

A sensor architecture that uses fixed wavelength light and tunes a wavelength dependent response of a sensor may be used for detecting analytes in a wide range of applications. The sensor architecture is based on optical resonators or interferometers comprising optical waveguides. A resonance wavelength and/or transmission/reflection spectrum are affected by presence of an analyte adsorbed on a surface of the waveguide, and a setting of a phase modulator. The sensors include a sensor portion where part of the waveguide is exposed to a sample for sensing, and a phase modulator part. The phase modulator part may include a heater that is controlled to tune, or sweep, or modulate the resonant wavelength and/or spectrum of the sensor.

A layer of amorphous Ge is formed on a substrate using electron-beam evaporation. The evaporation is performed at room temperature. The layer of amorphous Ge has a thickness of at least 50 nm and a purity of at least 90% Ge. The substrate is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible and is transparent at Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) wavelengths. The layer of amorphous Ge can be used as a waveguide in chemical sensing and data communication applications. The amorphous Ge waveguide has a transmission loss in the LWIR of 11 dB/cm or less at 8 μm.

The present invention relates to evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid coupling as well as methods of making and using same. The aforementioned evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid couplings provide increased tunability and sensing selectivity over current same. The aforementioned. Applicants' method of making evanescent-wave coupled optical resonators can be achieved while having coupling gap dimensions that can be fabricated using standard photolithography. Thus economic, rapid, and mass production of coupled WGM resonators-based lasers, sensors, and signal processors for a broad range of applications can be realized.

Building blocks are provided for on-chip chemical sensors and other highly-compact photonic integrated circuits combining interband or quantum cascade lasers and detectors with passive waveguides and other components integrated on a III-V or silicon. A MWIR or LWIR laser source is evanescently coupled into a passive extended or resonant-cavity waveguide that provides evanescent coupling to a sample gas (or liquid) for spectroscopic chemical sensing. In the case of an ICL, the uppermost layer of this passive waveguide has a relatively high index of refraction that enables it to form the core of the waveguide, while the ambient air, consisting of the sample gas, functions as the top cladding layer. A fraction of the propagating light beam is absorbed by the sample gas if it contains a chemical species having a fingerprint absorption feature within the spectral linewidth of the laser emission.

A sensor device and a method of analyzing a component in a fluid are described. The sensor device comprises a planar substrate defining a substrate plane, an electromagnetic waveguide forming a waveguide resonator and extending in a length direction in a waveguide resonator plane parallel to the substrate plane, wherein the electromagnetic waveguide is supported on the substrate by a support structure, wherein the electromagnetic waveguide has a width in the waveguide resonator plane in a direction perpendicular to the length direction, and a height out of the waveguide plane in a direction perpendicular to the length direction.

An electrical polarity adjustable biosensor based on lossy mode resonance includes a first polarity module, a second polarity module, and a plurality of spacers disposed between the first polarity module and the second polarity module. A biomaterial sensing region for injecting an object to be tested is formed between a bioprobe layer of the first polarity module and a second electrode layer of the second polarity module. An electric field is formed between a lossy mode resonance layer of the first polarity module and the second electrode layer, and the electric field acts on a plurality of bioprobes of the bioprobe layer and the object to be tested. The present disclosure further includes a method of using the electrical polarity adjustable biosensor based on lossy mode resonance.

Building blocks are provided for on-chip chemical sensors and other highly-compact photonic integrated circuits combining interband or quantum cascade lasers and detectors with passive waveguides and other components integrated on a III-V or silicon. A MWIR or LWIR laser source is evanescently coupled into a passive extended or resonant-cavity waveguide that provides evanescent coupling to a sample gas (or liquid) for spectroscopic chemical sensing. In the case of an ICL, the uppermost layer of this passive waveguide has a relatively high index of refraction that enables it to form the core of the waveguide, while the ambient air, consisting of the sample gas, functions as the top cladding layer. A fraction of the propagating light beam is absorbed by the sample gas if it contains a chemical species having a fingerprint absorption feature within the spectral linewidth of the laser emission.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods suitable to measure trace amounts of specific ions in fluid samples. An example system includes a resonator having an input coupler and an output coupler. The example system also includes an ion-selective membrane (ISM) optically coupled to at least a portion of the resonator. The system additionally includes a light source configured to illuminate the resonator by way of the input coupler. Furthermore, the system includes a detector configured to receive output light by way of the output coupler and provide information indicative a concentration of a specific ion proximate to tire ISM.

The present invention relates to evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid coupling as well as methods of making and using same. The aforementioned evanescently coupling whispering gallery mode optical resonators having a liquid couplings provide increased tunability and sensing selectivity over current same. The aforementioned. Applicants' method of making evanescent-wave coupled optical resonators can be achieved while having coupling gap dimensions that can be fabricated using standard photolithography. Thus economic, rapid, and mass production of coupled WGM resonators-based lasers, sensors, and signal processors for a broad range of applications can be realized.