Chemical and biochemical sensing applications of microstructured optical fiber-based systems : Chemical and biochemical sensing applications . . .

This article reviews the recent progress in optical biosensors that use the label-free detection protocol, in which biomolecules are unlabeled or unmodified, and are detected in their natural forms. In particular, it will focus on the optical biosensors that utilize the refractive index change as the sensing transduction signal. Various optical label-free biosensing platforms will be introduced, including, but not limited to, surface plasmon resonance, interferometers, waveguides, fiber gratings, ring resonators, and photonic crystals. Emphasis will be given to the description of optical structures and their respective sensing mechanisms. Examples of detecting various types of biomolecules will be presented. Wherever possible, the sensing performance of each optical structure will be evaluated and compared in terms of sensitivity and detection limit.

We report the fabrication of a new type of optical waveguide: the photonic crystal fiber. It consists of a pure silica core surrounded by a silica-air photonic crystal material with a hexagonal symmetry. The fiber supports a single robust low-loss guided mode over a very broad spectral range of at least 458-1550 nm.