Label-free water sensors using hybrid polymer-dielectric mid-infrared optical waveguides

A chip-scale mid-IR water sensor was developed using silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides coated with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA). The label-free detection was conducted at λ=2.6-2.7 μm because this spectral region overlaps with the characteristic O-H stretch absorption while being transparent to PGMA and SiN. Through the design of a hybrid waveguide structure, we were able to tailor the mid-IR evanescent wave into the PGMA layer and the surrounding water and, consequently, to enhance the light-analyte interaction. A 7.6 times enhancement of sensitivity is experimentally demonstrated and explained by material integration engineering as well as waveguide mode analysis. Our sensor platform made by polymer-dielectric hybrids can be applied to other regions of the mid-IR spectrum to probe other analytes and can ultimately achieve a multispectral sensor on-a-chip.