Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing
Integrated photonic sensors have gained significant attention for biosensing applications. An especially potent design is the polarimetric waveguide interferometer, which utilizes polarization diversity for effective self-referencing. However, its implementations are held back by the need for bulky...
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2024-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10704058/ |
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| author | Samuel M. Hormann Gandolf Feigl Jakob W. Hinum-Wagner Alexander Bergmann |
| author_facet | Samuel M. Hormann Gandolf Feigl Jakob W. Hinum-Wagner Alexander Bergmann |
| author_sort | Samuel M. Hormann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Integrated photonic sensors have gained significant attention for biosensing applications. An especially potent design is the polarimetric waveguide interferometer, which utilizes polarization diversity for effective self-referencing. However, its implementations are held back by the need for bulky free-space optics or unreliable waveguide junctions for polarization handling. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel concept for a compact photonic system that employs edge couplers to excite both polarizations from an optical fiber and an in-line polarizer to obtain the phase information in the fiber-based readout. Additionally, we improve the waveguide design methodology to minimize the limit of detection through balancing sensitivity with optical loss. To this end, we create a unified perturbative approach based on atomic force microscopy and ellipsometry data to model sensitivity, surface-roughness-induced scattering, absorption, and radiation. We then incorporate the coupling efficiency into a figure of merit for the combined system. Thus, we optimize the geometry of a strip waveguide on a CMOS-foundry-sourced silicon nitride platform for biosensing. Through exhaustive screening of the design space, we discover that polarization diversity simultaneously leverages high sensitivity and low overlap with sidewall roughness. Further, we present designs that eliminate the phase signal from two major noise sources: thermal and bulk refractive index fluctuations. Finally, we provide design recommendations and achieve a 5.2-fold improvement over a comparable bimodal waveguide interferometer. Thus, our aim is to design a robust, compact, sensitive, and cost-effective polarimetric waveguide interferometer through an efficient concept and an optimized design. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a741647a6b6d4411abcd95b07362a8a6 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1943-0655 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Photonics Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-a741647a6b6d4411abcd95b07362a8a62025-08-20T03:15:51ZengIEEEIEEE Photonics Journal1943-06552024-01-011651810.1109/JPHOT.2024.347289610704058Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for BiosensingSamuel M. Hormann0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0517-5486Gandolf Feigl1https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6134-6851Jakob W. Hinum-Wagner2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1407-4847Alexander Bergmann3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3343-8319Graz University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, Graz, AustriaGraz University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, Graz, AustriaGraz University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, Graz, AustriaGraz University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Measurement and Sensor Systems, Graz, AustriaIntegrated photonic sensors have gained significant attention for biosensing applications. An especially potent design is the polarimetric waveguide interferometer, which utilizes polarization diversity for effective self-referencing. However, its implementations are held back by the need for bulky free-space optics or unreliable waveguide junctions for polarization handling. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel concept for a compact photonic system that employs edge couplers to excite both polarizations from an optical fiber and an in-line polarizer to obtain the phase information in the fiber-based readout. Additionally, we improve the waveguide design methodology to minimize the limit of detection through balancing sensitivity with optical loss. To this end, we create a unified perturbative approach based on atomic force microscopy and ellipsometry data to model sensitivity, surface-roughness-induced scattering, absorption, and radiation. We then incorporate the coupling efficiency into a figure of merit for the combined system. Thus, we optimize the geometry of a strip waveguide on a CMOS-foundry-sourced silicon nitride platform for biosensing. Through exhaustive screening of the design space, we discover that polarization diversity simultaneously leverages high sensitivity and low overlap with sidewall roughness. Further, we present designs that eliminate the phase signal from two major noise sources: thermal and bulk refractive index fluctuations. Finally, we provide design recommendations and achieve a 5.2-fold improvement over a comparable bimodal waveguide interferometer. Thus, our aim is to design a robust, compact, sensitive, and cost-effective polarimetric waveguide interferometer through an efficient concept and an optimized design.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10704058/Integrated photonicssilicon nitrideinterferometerpolarimeterbiosensingpoint-of-care |
| spellingShingle | Samuel M. Hormann Gandolf Feigl Jakob W. Hinum-Wagner Alexander Bergmann Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing IEEE Photonics Journal Integrated photonics silicon nitride interferometer polarimeter biosensing point-of-care |
| title | Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing |
| title_full | Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing |
| title_fullStr | Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing |
| title_short | Rigorous Design Optimization of a Fiber-Enabled Polarimetric Waveguide Interferometer for Biosensing |
| title_sort | rigorous design optimization of a fiber enabled polarimetric waveguide interferometer for biosensing |
| topic | Integrated photonics silicon nitride interferometer polarimeter biosensing point-of-care |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10704058/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT samuelmhormann rigorousdesignoptimizationofafiberenabledpolarimetricwaveguideinterferometerforbiosensing AT gandolffeigl rigorousdesignoptimizationofafiberenabledpolarimetricwaveguideinterferometerforbiosensing AT jakobwhinumwagner rigorousdesignoptimizationofafiberenabledpolarimetricwaveguideinterferometerforbiosensing AT alexanderbergmann rigorousdesignoptimizationofafiberenabledpolarimetricwaveguideinterferometerforbiosensing |