Semester
Fall
Date of Graduation
2004
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
Department
Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Committee Chair
Lawrence A. Hornak.
Abstract
The importance of miniaturized sensors for quick and accurate assessments of a broad spectrum of hazardous biological agents has been highlighted by recent high profile events. Integrated optical devices based on evanescent wave interrogation techniques can register minute refractive index changes enabling detection of bioagents on the sensor surface and providing a potential for compact structure combined with a possibility of detecting several analytes simultaneously by fabricating multiple devices on the same chip. Most commonly integrated optical interrogation techniques suffer from issues of optical alignment and fabrication complexities. In addition the materials used to fabricate integrated optical devices experience drifts in material properties with time in ambient aqueous environmental conditions.;The central topic of this thesis is modeling and experimental evaluation of a new class of sensor design using a vertical stack of resonantly coupled dielectric slab waveguides exploiting evanescent wave interrogation technique. A simple but unique design strives to overcome optical alignment and complex fabrication issues. Also use of state of the art ion-assisted deposition techniques to fabricate the slab waveguide structures overcomes the problem of instabilities in waveguide material in aqueous environments due to porosity in microstructures of thin film materials when grown using conventional physical vapor deposition techniques.
Recommended Citation
Pathak, Shantanu, "Resonant optical waveguide biosensor characterization" (2004). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 2058.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/2058