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Slotted photonic crystal cavities with integrated microfluidics for biosensing applications
M G Scullion1, A Di Falco, T F Krauss
1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, UK. mgs32@st-andrews.ac.uk
Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|July 19, 2011
Summary
We developed highly sensitive photonic crystal sensors for detecting avidin. These ultra-compact devices achieve low detection limits, making them ideal for lab-on-a-chip applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Sensing
Background:
- Accurate and sensitive detection of biomolecules is crucial for diagnostics and research.
- Existing biosensing technologies often face limitations in sensitivity, size, or integration capabilities.
- Photonic crystal cavities offer potential for label-free biosensing due to their high quality factors and small mode volumes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the capability of functionalized slotted photonic crystal cavities for detecting low concentrations of avidin.
- To assess the sensitivity and mass detection limits of these ultra-compact sensors.
- To highlight the suitability of these sensors for lab-on-a-chip applications.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of functionalized slotted photonic crystal cavities with integrated microfluidics.
- Utilizing the cavities to detect dissolved avidin concentrations.
- Measuring surface mass densities and bound mass using the sensor's response.
Main Results:
- Detection of avidin concentrations as low as 15 nM (1 μg/ml).
- Detection of surface mass densities of approximately 60 pg/mm², corresponding to ~100 ag bound mass.
- Achieved high sensitivity over an extremely small sensing area (approx. 2.2 μm²).
Conclusions:
- Functionalized slotted photonic crystal cavities provide highly sensitive detection of avidin.
- The ultra-compact nature and high sensitivity make these sensors suitable for dense integration in lab-on-a-chip systems.
- The sensor's performance is attributed to strong modal overlap with the analyte, leading to enhanced wavelength shifts.
