Portable microresonator-based label-free detector: monotonous resonance splitting with particle adsorption

Whispering gallery mode resonators hold great promises as very sensitive detectors, with a wide range of applications, notably as biosensors. However, in order to monitor the fine variations in their resonances, a costly and bulky apparatus is required, which confines the use of these efficient tools within specialised labs. Here, we consider a micro-ring resonator that is completely covered by a Bragg grating and propose to functionalize it only over a quarter of its perimeter. As target molecules progressively bind to the active region of the resonator, some particular resonances near the edge of the band gap undergo monotonous frequency splitting. Such a splitting, within the GHz range, can be monitored by conventional electronics and, hence, does not require finely tunable lasers or spectrometers. Meanwhile, the ultrahigh sensitivity that is characteristic of whispering gallery mode resonators is maintained. This robust and sensitive self-heterodyne detection scheme may pave the way to portable whispering-gallery-mode-based detectors, and in particular to point-of-care diagnostic tools.