A platform for multiplexed detection of several biomolecular events, simultaneously at the same instant of time, is highly desirable in biomolecular diagnostics. Silicon Photonics is ideally suited for the above requirement. Our biosensor comprises a PC microcavity coupled to a PC waveguide. High sensitivities were achieved by slow light engineering which reduced the radiation loss and increased the stored energy in the photonic crystal microcavity resonance mode. Resonances with high quality factor Q~26,760 coupled with larger optical mode volumes allowed enhanced interaction with the analyte biomolecules which resulted in sensitivities down to 3.35pg/ml. We have multiplexed up to 64 PC microcavities in series and parallel for high throughput multiplexing using silicon integrated photonic components such as multimode interference power splitters combined with advanced group index engineering.

Date Published: 8 March 2014
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 8990, Silicon Photonics IX, 89900S (8 March 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2040370

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8990:
Silicon Photonics IX
Joel Kubby; Graham T. Reed, Editor(s)