Polymer microring resonators for optofluidic evanescent field sensors
Optofluidic evanescent field sensing, especially microresonator-based label-free biochemical sensing, is an emerging technology under intensive study. In this context, we demonstrate that polymeric microring resonators are excellent transducers. It is partly due to the simplicity and cost-efficiency of their fabrication and integration, and also to their robustness: a fast, repeatable and low-cost method was developed to fabricate devices with long lifetimes and state-of-the-art performances. A second advantage is the extreme sensitivity achievable to grafted molecules: a detectable signal was obtained with only a few hundreds of 5-TAMRA-cadaverine (5-TC) molecules, relatively small as compared to nucleic acids, antibodies and other biomolecules. The surface immobilization of 5-TC molecules was achieved after a simple and reproducible UV/ozone procedure for surface preparation. However, the qualities of polymer microring resonators only become apparent when coupled to high-precision instrumentation. In that respect, a measuring instrument was built to detect minute and real-time variations of the optical resonances, and thus in an optofluidic regime. The detection of absorption and desorption of 5-TC molecules on a surface functionalized with its antibody was achieved. However, truly specific responses of the instrument would only be achieved in a multiplexed configuration. Such configuration is achievable, but has yet to be developed. Meanwhile, the measuring instrument, as is, can be used for a wide variety of applications, from the measurement of dispersion coefficients to the study of local thermal effects.