Summary: Integrated Optical Micro Systems
(for students of Electrical Engineering, Physics, Nanotechnology, and other related fields)
Characterisation of the refractive index resolution of a
spiral-shaped Mach-Zehnder interferometric sensor
The spiral-shaped Mach-Zehnder interferometric sensor (sMZI sensor) has the potential for
achieving a better resolution. Current state-of-the-art is a refrective index resolution of n =
, which is equal to a detectable change of v = 2 m/s in the speed of light (300,000,000
m/s). The goal of the project is to realise a sensor array, which is fed by a single light source
and read-out with a single detector.
The sensor is made sensitive by locally removing the top cladding. To make the sensor
selective, one of the branches of the sMZI sensor is covered with a receptor layer that is
selective to a specific target biomolecule. In future, integrated glass cuvets with
microchannels for gasses and liquids can be integrated.
The sMZI sensors which are being developed have to be characterised, by passing liquids
along the sensor windows in a well controllable way. The result of this assignment should be
a standard setup with which new sensors can be characterised.