Photonic crystals in biosensing

Abstract

We discuss the use of 2-D photonic crystal (PhC) microcavities built in the silicon-on-insulator platform [1-5] to detect tiny amount of biological material. The devices are functionalized to capture the appropriate target with a negligible false positive response. Capture of the target increases the local refractive index inside the 'defect' air hole, which produces a shift in the resonant transmission wavelength. We will discuss the design and mode of operation of various 2-D PhC microcavity biosensors and illustrate their performance.