Liquid sensing capability of rolled-up tubular optical microcavities: a theoretical study

Rolled-up tubular optical microcavities are a novel type of optical sensor for identifying different liquids and monitoring single cells. Based on a Mie scattering method, we systematically study the optical resonances and liquid sensing capability of microtubes. Analytical formulas are presented to calculate the resonant wavelengths λ(r), Q factors, sensitivities S and figures of merit QS. Both ideal and rolled-up microtubes are considered for different optical materials in tube walls (refractive indices ranging from 1.5 to 2.5) and for three setups: tube-in-liquid, hollow-tube-in-liquid and liquid-in-tube. It is found that for rolled-up microtubes, the highest QS can be achieved by using the liquid-in-tube setup and very thin wall thicknesses. A maximal sensitivity is found in the case of the liquid cylinder. Our theory well explains a recent experiment under the setup of tube-in-liquid. It is also found that, although it describes the case of tube-in-liquid well, the waveguide approximation approach is not suitable for the case of liquid-in-tube. The results could be useful to design better optofluidic devices based on rolled-up microtubes.     

A single-layer, planar, optofluidic Mach-Zehnder interferometer for label-free detection

We have developed a planar, optofluidic Mach-Zehnder interferometer for the label-free detection of liquid samples. In contrast to most on-chip interferometers which require complex fabrication, our design was realized via a simple, single-layer soft lithography fabrication process. In addition, a single-wavelength laser source and a silicon photodetector were the only optical equipment used for data collection. The device was calibrated using published data for the refractive index of calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) in solution, and the biosensing capabilities of the device were tested by detecting bovine serum albumin (BSA). Our design enables a refractometer with a low limit of detection (1.24 × 10(-4) refractive index units (RIU)), low variability (1 × 10(-4) RIU), and high sensitivity (927.88 oscillations per RIU). This performance is comparable to state-of-the-art optofluidic refractometers that involve complex fabrication processes and/or expensive, bulky optics. The advantages of our device (i.e. simple fabrication process, straightforward optical equipment, low cost, and high detection sensitivity) make it a promising candidate for future mass-producible, inexpensive, highly sensitive, label-free optical detection systems.     

Highly sensitive optofluidic chips for biochemical liquid assay fabricated by 3D femtosecond laser micromachining followed by polymer coating

The demand for increased sensitivity in the concentration analysis of biochemical liquids is a crucial issue in the development of lab on a chip and optofluidic devices. We propose a new design for optofluidic devices for performing highly sensitive biochemical liquid assays. This design consists of a microfluidic channel whose internal walls are coated with a polymer and an optical waveguide embedded in photostructurable glass. The microfluidic channel is first formed by three-dimensional femtosecond laser micromachining. The internal walls of the channel are then coated by the dipping method with a polymer that has a lower refractive index than water. Subsequently, the optical waveguide is integrated with the microfluidic channel. The polymer coating on the internal walls permits the probe light, which is introduced by the optical waveguide, to propagate along the inside of the microfluidic channel. This results in a sufficiently long interaction length between the probe light and a liquid sample in the channel and thus significantly improves the sensitivity of absorption measurements. Using the fabricated optofluidic chips, we analyzed protein in bovine serum albumin to concentrations down to 7.5 mM as well as 200 nM glucose-D.     

Optofluidic microsystem with quasi-3 dimensional gold plasmonic nanostructure arrays for online sensitive and reproducible SERS detection

Practical applications of chemical and biological detections through surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) require high reproducibility, sensitivity, and efficiency, along with low-cost, straightforward fabrication. In this work, we integrated a poly-(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) chip with quasi-3D gold plasmonic nanostructure arrays (Q3D-PNAs), which serve as SERS-active substrates, into an optofluidic microsystem for online sensitive and reproducible SERS detections. The Q3D-PNA PDMS chip was fabricated through soft lithography to ensure both precision and low-cost fabrication. The optimal dimension of the Q3D-PNA in PDMS was designed using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) electromagnetic simulations with a simulated enhancement factor (EF) of 1.6 × 10⁶. The real-time monitoring capability of the SERS-based optofluidic microsystem was investigated by kinetic on/off experiments through alternatively flowing Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and ethanol in the microfluidic channel. A switch-off time of ∼2 min at a flow rate of 0.3 mL min⁻¹ was demonstrated. When applied to the detection of low concentration malathion, the SERS-based optofluidic microsystem with Q3D-PNAs showed high reproducibility, significantly improved efficiency and higher detection sensitivity via increasing the flow rate. The optofluidic microsystem presented in this paper offers a simple and low-cost approach for online, label-free chemical and biological analysis and sensing with high sensitivity, reproducibility, efficiency, and molecular specificity.     

Optofluidic differential spectroscopy for absorbance detection of sub-nanolitre liquid samples

We present a novel optofluidic differential method for carrying out absorbance spectroscopy of sub-nanolitre volumes of liquid samples on a microfluidic chip. Due to the reduction of liquid volume, the absorbance detection in microfluidics is often hindered by either low sensitivity or complex fabrication. To address this issue, we introduced an optofluidic modulator which can be easily integrated into a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) based microfluidic chip. The modulator was controlled by the fluid pressure and the absorbance spectrum of the analyte was obtained by taking differential measurements between the analyte and reference medium. An advantage is that this method doesn't need a complicated fabrication step. It is compatible with conventional microfluidic chips and measurements can be carried out on a normal transmission microscope. The performance of the device was tested by measuring solutions containing methylene blue, with concentrations as low as 13 μM.     

Optofluidic variable-focus lenses for light manipulation

This paper presents a planar optofluidic lens for light manipulation utilizing a combination of optofluidic biconvex lens with micromixer. Three light manipulation techniques including tunable optical diverging, collimating and focusing are realized by altering the refractive index of the optofluidic variable-focus lenses formed by solid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) walls and tunable liquid lens body. The optical power from the laser input can be increased or decreased with the tuning of the variable-focus lenses' refractive indexes. The optical power adjustment capabilities are demonstrated and characterized. The combinations of benefits of all lens' optical manipulation capabilities, greater mechanical stability, significant increase of optofluidic device's life time and seamless integration with other lab-on-a-chip functionalities provide a promising and versatile optofluidic compartment to integrate with lab-on-a-chip excitation and sensing applications. Optofluidic lens-including system for tunable fluorescence sensing is demonstrated showing 186% increase in detected fluorescence intensity.     

Grating coupler integrated photodiodes for plasmon resonance based sensing

In this work, we demonstrate an integrated sensor combining a grating-coupled plasmon resonance surface with a planar photodiode. Plasmon enhanced transmission is employed as a sensitive refractive index (RI) sensing mechanism. Enhanced transmission of light is monitored via the integrated photodiode by tuning the angle of incidence of a collimated beam near the sharp plasmon resonance condition. Slight changes of the effective refractive index (RI) shift the resonance angle, resulting in a change in the photocurrent. Owing to the planar sensing mechanism, the design permits a high areal density of sensing spots. In the design, absence of holes that facilitate resonant transmission of light, allows an easy-to-implement fabrication procedure and relative insensitivity to fabrication errors. Theoretical and experimental results agree well. An equivalent long-term RI noise of 6.3 × 10(-6) RIU/√Hz is obtained by using an 8 mW He-Ne laser, compared to a shot-noise limited theoretical sensitivity of 5.61 × 10(-9) RIU/√Hz. The device features full benefits of grating-coupled plasmon resonance, such as enhancement of sensitivity for non-zero azimuthal angle of incidence. Further sensitivity enhancement using balanced detection and optimal plasmon coupling conditions are discussed.     

Hydrodynamically tunable optofluidic cylindrical microlens

In this work, we report the design, fabrication, and characterization of a tunable optofluidic microlens that focuses light within a microfluidic device. The microlens is generated by the interface of two co-injected miscible fluids of different refractive indices, a 5 M CaCl(2) solution (n(D) = 1.445) and deionized (DI) water (n(D) = 1.335). When the liquids flow through a 90-degree curve in a microchannel, a centrifugal effect causes the fluidic interface to be distorted and the CaCl(2) solution bows outwards into the DI water portion. The bowed fluidic interface, coupled with the refractive index contrast between the two fluids, yields a reliable cylindrical microlens. The optical characteristics of the microlens are governed by the shape of the fluidic interface, which can be altered by simply changing the flow rate. Higher flow rates generate a microlens with larger curvature and hence shorter focal length. The changing of microlens profile is studied using both computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and confocal microscopy. The focusing effect is experimentally characterized through intensity measurements and image analysis of the focused light beam, and the experimental data are further confirmed by the results from a ray-tracing optical simulation. Our investigation reveals a simple, robust, and effective mechanism for integrating optofluidic tunable microlenses in lab-on-a-chip systems.     

Rolled-up nanotech on polymers: from basic perception to self-propelled catalytic microengines

In this tutorial review we describe the recent progress on catalytic microtubular engines fabricated by rolled-up nanotech on polymers. We summarize the technical aspects of the technology and the basic principles that cause the catalytic microengines to self-propel in fuel solutions. The control over speed, directionality and interactions of the microengines to perform tasks such as cargo transportation is also discussed. We compare this technology to other fabrication techniques of catalytic micro-/nanomotors and outline challenges and opportunities for such engines in future studies. Since rolled-up nanotech on polymers can easily integrate almost any type of inorganic material, huge potential and advanced performance such as high speed, cargo delivery, motion control, and dynamic assembly are foreseen--ultimately promising a practical way to construct versatile and intelligent catalytic tubular microrobots.     

基于光波导微环谐振器的lgG非标记检测微流体分析系统

设计开发了与微环谐振器集成的微流体通道系统,不仅避免了敞开环境中由于液体挥发造成的微环谐振器表面盐分的聚结,屏蔽空气中的各种杂质,而且只需要30 μL反应溶液,减少了药品用量,大大节约了实验成本.同时,采用绝缘体硅(SOI)材料,利用光刻技术设计和制作了波导宽度为450 nm,半径为5 μm,品质因子(Q值)为20000的光波导微环谐振器.集成的微环谐振器传感系统具有低成本、免标记、能实时监测生化反应过程等特点.以不同浓度的酒精溶液为测试对象,研究了微环谐振器对均质溶液的传感性能,传感芯片对溶液折射率的探测灵敏度为76.09 nm/RIU,探测极限为5.25×10Symbolm@@_4 RIU,验证了此微环谐振器对均质溶液进行浓度检测的可行性.利用此传感系统对人免疫球蛋白IgG进行了非标记免疫检测.在测试中,采用微流体通道系统将相应抗体修饰到微环谐振器表面,利用光谱仪对修饰过程以及抗原抗体特异性结合过程中的共振谱线漂移情况进行了监测.结果表明,光波导微环谐振器可以对生物分子进行实时监测.     

An optofluidic prism tuned by two laminar flows

This paper presents a tunable optofluidic prism based on the configuration of two laminar flow streams with different refractive indices in a triangular chamber. The chambers with 70° and 90° apex angles are designed based on simulation results, which provide the optimum working range and avoid recirculating flows in the chambers. In addition, a hydrodynamic model has been developed to predict the tuning of the prisms by the variation in the flow rates. Prisms with different refractive indices are realized using benzyl alcohol and deionized (DI) water as the inner liquids, respectively. The mixture of ethylene glycol and DI water with an effective refractive index matched to that of the microchannel is used as the outer liquid. The apex angle of the prism is tuned from 75° to 135° by adjusting the ratio of the two flow rates. Subsequently, the deviation angle of the output light beam is tuned from -13.5° to 22°. One of the new features of this optofluidic prism is its capability to transform from a symmetric to an asymmetric prism with the assistance of a third flow. Two optical behaviours have been performed using the optofluidic prism. First, parallel light beam scanning is achieved with a constant deviation angle of 10° and a tuning range of 60 μm using the asymmetric prism. The detected output light intensity is increased by 65.7%. Second, light dispersion is experimentally demonstrated using 488-nm and 633-nm laser beams. The two laser beams become distinguishable with a deviation angle difference of 2.5° when the apex angle of the prism reaches 116°.     

Fluorescent liquid-core/air-cladding waveguides towards integrated optofluidic light sources

We have demonstrated fluorescent liquid-core/air-cladding (LA) waveguides suitable for use as integrated optofluidic light sources. These waveguides were fabricated by conventional soft lithography using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). Two-phase stratified flows of air and ethylene glycol with fluorescent dye were generated along the PDMS channel. Compared to the liquid-core/liquid-cladding (L(2)) waveguide, the larger refractive index contrast of the LA waveguide resulted in stronger optical confinement. Specifically, the larger refractive index contrast led to experimentally achievable captured fractions (the amount of light to be coupled into the liquid core) as high as 22.8% and the measured propagation losses as low as 0.14 dB cm(-1). Furthermore, in our LA waveguides, diffusional mixing of the core and cladding fluids did not occur and the size of the core stream could be reversibly tuned simply by adjusting the flow rates of the two contiguous phases.     

Sensitivity of metal nanoparticle surface plasmon resonance to the dielectric environment

Electrodynamic simulations of gold nanoparticle spectra were used to investigate the sensitivity of localized surface plasmon band position to the refractive index, n, of the medium for nanoparticles of various shapes and nanoshells of various structures. Among single-component nanoparticles less than 130 nm in size, sensitivities of dipole resonance positions to bulk refractive index are found to depend only upon the wavelength of the resonance and the dielectric properties of the metal and the medium. Among particle plasmons that peak in the frequency range where the real part of the metal dielectric function varies linearly with wavelength and the imaginary part is small and slowly varying, the sensitivity of the peak wavelength, lambda, to refractive index, n, is found to be a linearly increasing function of lambda, regardless of the structural features of the particle that determine lambda. Quasistatic theory is used to derive an analytical expression for the refractive index sensitivity of small particle plasmon peaks. Through this analysis, the dependence of sensitivity on band position is found to be determined by the wavelength dependence of the real part, epsilon', of the particle dielectric function, and the sensitivity results are found to extend to all particles with resonance conditions of the form, epsilon' = -2chin(2), where chi is a function of geometric parameters and other constants. The sensitivity results observed using accurate computational methods for dipolar plasmon bands of gold nanodisks, nanorods, and hollow nanoshells extend, therefore, to particles of other shapes (such as hexagonal and chopped tetrahedral), composed of other metals, and to higher-order modes. The bulk refractive index sensitivity yielded by the theory serves as an upper bound to sensitivities of nanoparticles on dielectric substrates and sensitivities of nanoparticles to local refractive index changes, such as those associated with biomolecule sensing.     

An integrated optofluidic platform for Raman-activated cell sorting

We report on integrated optofluidic Raman-activated cell sorting (RACS) platforms that combine multichannel microfluidic devices and laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy (LTRS) for delivery, identification, and simultaneous sorting of individual cells. The system allows label-free cell identification based on Raman spectroscopy and automated continuous cell sorting. Two optofluidic designs using hydrodynamic focusing and pinch-flow fractionation are evaluated based on their sorting design and flow velocity effect on the laser trapping efficiency at different laser power levels. A proof-of-principle demonstration of the integrated optofluidic LTRS system for the identification and sorting of two leukemia cell lines is presented. This functional prototype lays the foundation for the development of a label-free cell sorting platform based on intrinsic Raman markers for automated sampling and sorting of a large number of individual cells in solution.     

Monitoring the quality of frying oils using a nanolayer coated optical fiber refractometer

The analysis of the quality of food oils is of paramount importance, because the degradation of oils can lead to formation of harmful substances to the human organism. With the increase of the degradation of oils an increase of its refractive index occurs. The objective of this work is to develop and to characterize optical fiber refractometers sensitive to variations of refractive index of food oil samples. The optical fiber refractometers thanks to the intrinsic characteristics make them suitable for monitoring the quality of frying oils. They possess the advantages to require small volumes of sample for analysis, do not contaminate the sample, and supply the response in real time. In this work a long period grating (LPG) as refractometer is used because of their sensitivity to refractive index of the external media: degraded and not degraded frying oil samples. The oil samples had been characterized by the analysis of total polar components. The refractive index of oil is above 1.47, this region the LPG does not show enough sensitivity, a nanolayer of an organic material was coated onto the fiber. Using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique the response of LPG is modified according to the refractive index and thickness of the film. The deposition of the film modifies the rates effective modes of cladding, thus improving the response of the changes in the refractive index of the external media higher than that the refractive index of the cladding (n = 1.457).     

Discretely tunable optofluidic compound microlenses

We report a novel method to fabricate high zoom-ratio optofluidic compound microlenses using poly(dimethylsiloxane) with multi-layer architecture. The layered structure of deformable lenses, biconvex and plano-concave, are self-aligned as a group. The refractive index contrast of each lens, which is controlled by filling the chambers with a specific medium, is the key factor for determining the device's numerical aperture. The chip has multiple independent pneumatic valves that can be digitally switched on and off, pushing the liquid into the lens chambers with great accuracy and consistency. This quickly and precisely tunes the focal length of the microlens device from centimetres to sub-millimetre. The system has great potential for applications in portable microscopic imaging, bio-sensing, and laser beam configuration.     

Transformation optofluidics for large-angle light bending and tuning

Transformation optics is a new art of light bending by designing materials with spatially variable parameters for developing wave-manipulation devices. Here, we introduce a transformation optofluidic Y-branch splitter with large-angle bending and tuning based on the design of a spatially variable index. Differing from traditional splitters, the optofluidic splitter is achieved in an inhomogeneous medium by coordinate transformation. The designed bidirectional gradient index (GRIN) distribution can be achieved practically by the convection-diffusion process of liquid flowing streams. The transformation optofluidic splitter can achieve a much larger split angle with little bend loss than the traditional ones. In the experiments, a large tunable split angle up to 30° is achieved by tuning the flow rates, allowing optical signals to be freely transferred to different channels. Besides the symmetrical branch splitting, asymmetrical Y-branch splitting with approximately equal power splitting is also demonstrated by changing the composition of the liquids. The optofluidic splitter has high potential applications in biological, chemical and biomedical solution measurement and detection.     

高折射率聚合物-无机纳米光学杂化材料的设计与制备及其应用

传统的高折射率聚合物光学材料,可以通过向聚合物中引入一些芳香环,含硫基团以及除氟以外的其他卤素原子来提高聚合物光学材料的折射率,但是就目前的研究现状来看,这类纯聚合物光学材料的折射率一般都低于1.8.而将具有高折射率的无机纳米粒子引入到聚合物中,所制备的聚合物-无机纳米光学材料的折射率能够达到1.8以上.而且这类高折射率聚合物-无机纳米光学杂化材料同时具有高分子光学材料和无机材料的双重优点,具有广泛的应用前景.鉴于当前高折射率聚合物-无机纳米光学杂化材料发展之迅速和其研究与开发的重要性,并结合目前国内外的研究现状,本文就高折射率聚合物-无机纳米光学杂化材料的设计、制备方法及其相关应用做一个比较系统的介绍,同时对这类材料在未来研究中所应注意的问题也提出了相应的看法.     

Biosensors using integrated optical devices

Summary A label-free, homogeneous immunoassay can be realised using surface single-mode wave guide structures. The evanescent field of the guided mode penetrates the adjacent vicinity of the wave guide, the biochemical layer. Thus, changes in its thickness and refractive index during an antigen-antibody interaction cause a change in the effective refractive index of the wave guide itself. Such small changes can be transformed into intensity modulations using an interferometric set-up. Investigations are described using an integrated optical Mach-Zehnder interferometer (IO-MZ-chip) and the experimental results are compared with model calculations. The theoretical sensitivity of the IO-MZ-chips used was determined applying Maxwell's equations to the propagation of light in stripe wave guides. For the experimental formation of a protein adlayer a three-step biotinavidin protocol for the immobilisation of biotinylated immunoglobulins was employed.Dedicated to Professor Dr. Wilhelm Fresenius on the occasion of his 80th birthday     

Design of new integrated optical substrates for immuno-analytical applications

Integrated optical Mach-Zehnder interferometers supply information on changes in refractive index and/or thickness of a film placed as a superstrate on top of one of its surface wave-guides. The internal propagation of light is influenced by the evanescent field reaching into the superstrate. This propagating light interferes with an uninfluenced wave in the second arm after recombination. The result is an intensity modulation depending on the refractive index parameters of the substrate, the waveguide itself and the properties of the superstrate. Taking an antigen layer as the superstrate, its interaction with antibodies changes its thickness by several nanometers. This can be observed by recording the change in intensity of the signal of the interferometer. The sensitivity of such a device depends on particular values of the optical parameters of substrate and waveguide with respect to the given superstrate properties. Computer calculations help to select optimum glass and waveguide fabrication conditions. The numerical results of a variety of assumed conditions have been tested experimentally. The application to the improved detection of triazines is discussed.