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.

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.

Apparatus and methods for improving optical signal collection in an integrated device are described. A microdisk can be formed in an integrated device and increase collection and/or concentration of radiation incident on the microdisk and re-radiated by the microdisk. An example integrated device that can include a microdisk may be used for analyte detection and/or analysis. Such an integrated device may include a plurality of pixels, each having a reaction chamber for receiving a sample to be analyzed, an optical microdisk, and an optical sensor configured to detect optical emission from the reaction chamber. The microdisk can comprise a dielectric material having a first index of refraction that is embedded in one or more surrounding materials having one or more different refractive index values.

An assay unit for carrying-out fluorescence-detected assays having a microfluidic chip with a microfluidic system to convey a sample or analyte solution through one or more microfluidic channels arranged on the chip, and a photonic system with two or more rectangular waveguide structures. The microfluidic channels and the waveguide structures cross each other at a detection site. In an assay area, where a certain microfluidic channel and a certain waveguide structure cross each other, one or more lateral surfaces of the core of the waveguide structure at least partially face an inner volume of the microfluidic channel, such that an evanescent field of light guided within the waveguide structure overlaps with a certain part of the inner volume of the microfluidic channel.

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.

Disclosed herein is a device (100) for multicolor optical imaging of a sample (102) with wavelength-dependent optical path length enhancement, the device (100) comprising an optical resonator (106) for enhancing an optical path length, wherein the optical resonator (106) has a first finesse at a first wavelength and a second finesse at a second wavelength; a sample holder (104) for mounting the sample (102) in the optical resonator (106), wherein the sample holder (104) is configured to hold the sample (102) such that an optical axis (112) of the optical resonator (106) intersects with the sample (102);a first imaging system (114) for imaging the sample (102) at the first wavelength with a first imaging technique, and a second imaging system (126) for imaging the sample (102) at the second wavelength with a second imaging technique, wherein the second wavelength is different from the first wavelength; wherein the first finesse and the second finesse are chosen such that the optical resonator (106) enhances a first image quality indicator of the imaging with the first imaging system (114) and a second image quality indicator of the imaging with the second imaging system (126).

A sensor for sensing the concentration of at least one biological species in blood includes a support, at least one waveguide, and an optomechanical resonator hanging to the support. The optomechanical resonator is optically coupled to the waveguide. The optomechanical resonator is configured to vibrate in a volume mode and includes at least one face extending in the plane of the sensor and is configured to receive molecules of the given species. The optical resonator includes a body comprising an optical active area and an optical insulation layer deposited at least in line with the optical active area so as to confine at least partially an electromagnetic wave in the body.

Apparatus and methods for analyzing single molecule and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An apparatus can include an assay chip that includes multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which, when excited, emits emission energy; at least one element for directing the emission energy in a particular direction; and a light path along which the emission energy travels from the sample well toward a sensor. The apparatus also includes an instrument that interfaces with the assay chip. The instrument includes an excitation light source for exciting the sample in each sample well; a plurality of sensors corresponding the sample wells. Each sensor may detect emission energy from a sample in a respective sample well. The instrument includes at least one optical element that directs the emission energy from each sample well towards a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors.

Optical analytical devices and their methods of use are provided. The devices 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 include integrated illumination elements and optical waveguides for illumination of the optical reactions. The devices further provide for the efficient coupling of optical excitation energy from the waveguides to the optical reactions. Optical signals emitted from the reactions can thus be measured with high sensitivity and discrimination using features such as spectra, amplitude, and time resolution, or combinations thereof. The devices of the invention are well suited for miniaturization and high throughput.

A label-free detection and characterization system includes an optical source; an optical path arranged to be optically coupled to the optical source; an optical resonator disposed proximate the optical path along a side of the optical path, the optical resonator having an optical whispering-gallery mode and being optically coupled to the optical path through an evanescent field to excite the optical whispering-gallery mode; an optical receiver arranged to be optically coupled to the optical path. The optical source is frequency locked to a resonance frequency of the optical resonator and provides light sufficiently intense to provide four-wave mixing while being coupled with the optical resonator resulting in a comb spectrum received by the optical receiver. The comb spectrum provides characteristic changes in the presence of a substance in contact with the optical resonator to provide detection and characterization of the substance.