Optical Feedback Interferometry Based Microfluidic Sensing: Impact of Multi-Parameters on Doppler Spectral Properties

Abstract

As a compact and simple sensing technique, optical feedback interferometry (OFI) can be a promising flowmetry method in various microfluidic applications. In this paper, OFI-based flowmetry sensor performance in a microscale flow scheme is studied theoretically and experimentally. An innovating model and different numerical methods are investigated, where the scattering light angle distribution is involved to predict the Doppler frequency distribution. For the first time, our model describes the influences of multiple OFI sensor system characteristics, such as flowing particle size, concentration, channel interface reflectivity and channel dimension, on the OFI signal spectral performances. In particular, a significant OFI signal level enhancement was achieved by deposing a high reflectivity gold layer on the rear channel interface due to the increased forward scattered light reflection. The consistent experimental validation associated with the simulations verifies this numerical simulation method’s reliability. The numerical methods presented here provide a new tool to design novel microfluidic reactors and sensors.

Keywords

• optical feedback interferometry
• microfluidics
• optical simulation
• VCSELs
• spectral imaging
• sensing mechanisms