Characterization of a Functional Hydrogel Layer on a Silicon-Based Grating Waveguide for a Biochemical Sensor

We numerically demonstrated the characteristics of a functional hydrogel layer on a silicon-based grating waveguide for a simple, cost-effective refractive index (RI) biochemical sensor. The RI of the functional hydrogel layer changes when a specific biochemical interaction occurs between the hydrogel-linked receptors and injected ligand molecules. The transmission spectral profile of the grating waveguide shifts depends on the amount of RI change caused by the functional layer. Our characterization includes the effective RI change caused by the thickness, functional volume ratio, and functional strength of the hydrogel layer. The results confirm the feasibility of, and set design rules for, hydrogel-assisted silicon-based grating waveguides.