Biophotonic sensors with integrated Si3N4-organic hybrid (SiNOH) lasers for point-of-care diagnostics

Abstract

Optical biosensors: light source integration Optical sensors that comprise integrated lasers and that are compatible with cost-efficient mass manufacturing could be promising for point-of-care diagnostics. Daria Kohler and coworkers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany have now demonstrated biosensors that combine silicon-nitride (Si3N4) waveguides with co-integrated Si3N4-organic hybrid (SiNOH) lasers. The sensor consists of three main integrated parts: The optically-pumped SiNOH laser, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer acting as a biosensor, and a set of grating couplers for directing the output to a CCD camera. The SiNOH laser relies on a spiral Si3N4 waveguide, which is covered by a dye-doped organic cladding to provide optical gain. The devices are technically simple and can be efficiently realized by wafer-level printing techniques.