Laser wave-mixing detectors for microfluidics are presented as compact systems for parts-per-quadrillion-level detection of biomedical and environmental samples. Wave mixing offers unique advantages including absorption-based detection of micrometer-thin samples, generation of coherent laser-like signal beams, and sensitive detection of both fluorescing and non-fluorescing samples. Biomarkers could be detected in their native forms without labels, or if labels are desired, one could use both fluorophores and chromophores as labels. By coupling low-power (mW) solid-state lasers and microfluidics and microarrays, one can design compact optical systems that can be battery powered and used in the field for real-time fingerprinting of chemicals.

Date Published: 12 September 2014
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 9193, Novel Optical Systems Design and Optimization XVII, 91930T (12 September 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2062373

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9193:
Novel Optical Systems Design and Optimization XVII
G. Groot Gregory; Arthur J. Davis, Editor(s)