Modeling of Optical Waveguide Biosensor Structures

摘要

A detailed modeling and characterization study of prototype planar quartzwaveguide fluorescence biosensor structures is presented. The existing fluorescence based chemical sensor and biosensor technologies were used as the starting point of the study, and a design objective of maximized evanescent excitation and side collection of emitted fluorescence was established. The report is divided in six following sections. The first of these, chapter two, is a review of fluorescence sensing of biochemical species giving a frame of reference and design objectives for the work. Chapter three presents a summary of waveguide and fluorescence theory from the perspective of planar waveguides. It also provides the basis for chapter four which presents theory and practical work of the FDTD modeling of waveguides. Chapter five reviews and discusses fabrication of quartz waveguides for fluorescence applications based on the modeling results, as well as characterization of the fabricated waveguides. Chapter six is a compiled presentation of the results and discussion of the findings and it also presents directions for future studies. Finally, chapter seven is a concise summary of the results of the study, with conclusions.