Planar optical microring resonators used as biosensors: guidelines for designing polymer compared to semiconductor-based waveguides

R. Landgraf; T. Haugwitz; R. Kirchner; W.-J. Fischer

doi:10.1117/12.999970

30 November 2012 Planar optical microring resonators used as biosensors: guidelines for designing polymer compared to semiconductor-based waveguides

R. Landgraf, T. Haugwitz, R. Kirchner, W.-J. Fischer

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8561, Advanced Sensor Systems and Applications V; 85610Q (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.999970
Event: Photonics Asia, 2012, Beijing, China

Abstract

Due to their small footprint and high sensitivity to biological molecule binding, planar optical microring resonators gained high interest for use as optical biosensors. Typically, microring resonators are made of semiconductor based materials, and are manufactured by time-consuming lithography and etching steps. Semiconductor based waveguides have high refractive indices, and thus, a high refractive index contrast between core and cladding. In this case, due to strong mode confinement, bending loss is a comparably minor issue and becomes relevant only at small bending radii of less than 5 μm. The main loss is determined by surface scattering, and thus, semiconductor based curved waveguides need to be designed and manufactured to have very smooth sidewalls. If polymer materials are used, microring resonators can be cost-efficiently manufactured by nanoimprint lithography. The resulting larger polymer waveguide dimensions facilitate in- and out-coupling, and polymer surfaces allow using established surface biofunctionalization techniques. For polymer waveguides, due to the small refractive index contrast, surface scattering loss is a minor issue, but bending loss becomes dominant for radii of less than 80 μm due to the low mode confinement to the core. In this work, design guidelines for polymer microring resonator waveguides are given and compared to semiconductor based waveguides. Waveguide losses due to bending and surface roughness are determined analytically or numerically by finite element methods. Coupling coefficients are calculated by finite element methods and coupled-mode theory. Resulting conclusions for designing polymer waveguides and semiconductor waveguides are derived.

Citation Download Citation

R. Landgraf, T. Haugwitz, R. Kirchner, and W.-J. Fischer "Planar optical microring resonators used as biosensors: guidelines for designing polymer compared to semiconductor-based waveguides", Proc. SPIE 8561, Advanced Sensor Systems and Applications V, 85610Q (30 November 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.999970

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
12 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Waveguides

Polymers

Microrings

Polymer multimode waveguides

Resonators

Silicon

Scattering

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years