Abstract
We present experimentally feasible designs of a dual-core microstructured polymer optical fiber (mPOF), which can act as a highly sensitive, label-free, and selective biosensor. An immobilized antigen sensing layer on the walls of the holes in the mPOF provides the ability to selectively capture antibody biomolecules. The change of the layer thickness of biomolecules can then be detected as a change in the coupling length between the two cores. We compare mPOF structures with 1, 2, and 3 air-holes between the solid cores and show that the sensitivity increases with increasing distance between the cores. Numerical calculations indicate a record sensitivity up to 20 nm/nm (defined as the shift in the resonance wavelength per nm biolayer) at visible wavelengths, where the mPOF has low loss.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Optics Express |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| Pages (from-to) | 7790-7798 |
| ISSN | 1094-4087 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Bibliographical note
This paper was published in Optics Express and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-19-8-7790. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.Keywords
- Fiber optics sensors
- Microstructured fibers
- Polymer waveguides
- Biological sensing and sensors