Overview

This course provides detailed insight of the field of optical biosensors and their basic working principles. Staring with the introduction of basic components, characteristics, performance parameters and fabrication techniques (lectures 1&2), this course brings the learner to the mesmerizing field of sensors based on basic principles of optics. The basic optical phenomena/characteristics and their sensing applications have been discussed in detail (lectures 3-8). In the last two lectures, the optical properties of tissues and optics in the biomaterials has been discussed with providing some further insights into optical biosensing applications. The course ends with notes on terahertz sensing applications and future directions of research. INTENDED AUDIENCE : Physics, Nanotechnology, Biosciences, Electrical Engineering, Electrooptic Engineering, PhotonicsPREREQUISITES : Basic knowledge of Optics (Geometrical optics, Interference, Diffraction, polarization, etc.) INDUSTRY SUPPORT : Photonic Sys

Syllabus

Week 1 : Lecture 1: Introduction to sensors and biosensors:Characteristics and components of optical biosensors,various transduction mechanisms, Optical probing parametersLecture 2: Performance parameters, Fabrication and functionalization methods of optical biosensorsLecture 3: Basic optics for optical biosensing-I:Electromagnetic waves in free space: –Maxwell’s equations, EM Wave equations, Power density, Polarization, Scattering Week 2 : Lecture 4: Basic optics for optical biosensing-II: Electromagnetic waves in matter Dielectrics, Reflection and transmission at interface: Fresnel equations, Polarization by reflection – Brewster angle sensorLecture 5: Basic optics for optical biosensing-III: Electromagnetic waves in matter Total internal reflection- TIR sensors, Evanescent wave sensing, factors affecting performance, importance of penetration depth, waveguide sensors using TIRLecture 6: Basic optics for optical biosensing-IV: Electromagnetic waves in matter Absorption and dispersion, conductors: Drude model for the metal dielectric function and introduction to plasmons Week 3 : Lecture 7: Plasmonic sensors: Propagating versus localized plasmons, Optimized sensor configurations, Electromagnetic field enhancements, plasmon enhanced sensorsLecture 8: Basic optics for optical biosensing-V: Interference and diffraction Interference and interferometry, Airy function for single layer, Mach Zehnder Interferometer for sensing, Fabry Perot Interferometer for sensing. Week 4 : Lecture 9: Review of biomaterial optics:Biomaterial Structures EM Waves Absorption in Tissue, Chirality, polarization rotation and dichroism,Lecture 10: Review of sensing applications: Scattering–Elastic (Rayleigh), –Inelastic (Raman); Fluorescence, Some real life optical biosensors, Sensing at terahertz.