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Optofluidics Refractometers
Cheng Li1, Gang Bai2,3, Yunxiao Zhang4
1State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, No. 10, Xitucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100876, China. lichn@bupt.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Refractometry is a classic analytical method in analytical chemistry and biosensing. By integrating advanced micro- and nano-optical systems with well-developed microfluidics technology, optofluidics are shown to be a powerful, smart and universal platform for refractive index sensing applications. This paper reviews recent work on optofluidic refractometers based on different sensing mechanisms and structures (e.g., photonic crystal/photonic crystal fibers, waveguides, whisper gallery modes and surface plasmon resonance), and traces the performance enhancement due to the synergistic integration of optics and microfluidics. A brief discussion of future trends in optofluidic refractometers, namely volume sensing and resolution enhancement, are also offered.
