Packaged chip for multiplexing photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguide and photonic crystal slot waveguide devices for chip-integrated label-free detection and absorption spectroscopy with high throughput, sensitivity, specificity, and wide dynamic range

摘要

Systems and methods for chip-integrated label-free detection and absorption spectroscopy with high throughput, sensitivity, and specificity are disclosed. The invention comprises packaged chips for multiplexing photonic crystal microcavity waveguide and photonic crystal slot waveguide devices. The packaged chips comprise crossing waveguides to prevent leakage of fluids from the microfluidic channels from the trenches or voids around the light guiding waveguides. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

主权项

1. A packaged chip for the integration of arrays of photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides with external optical sources and external optical detectors comprising:
i) a package shell comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, and a side wall portion which together surround an interior volume; ii) a substrate disposed on the interior side of the bottom portion of the package shell and bounded by the interior side of the side wall portion of the package shell; iii) a bottom cladding disposed on the substrate and bounded by the interior side of the side wall portion of the package shell; iv) a slab disposed on the bottom cladding and bounded by the interior side of the side wall portion of the package shell, wherein the refractive index of the bottom cladding is lower than the refractive index of the slab; v) a cover polymer disposed on the slab, wherein the cover polymer is capped by the interior side of the top portion of the package shell and bounded by the interior side of the side wall portion of the package shell; vi) an input sub-wavelength grating coupler comprising a plurality of void columnar members with rectangular cross-section etched through the slab, wherein the plurality of void columnar members have a periodicity β in one direction along the slab and a periodicity γ in the direction orthogonal to β along the slab; vii) a first multimode interference power splitter comprising:
a) a first input end;b) a first output end;c) a first rectangular mesa defined in the slab;d) wherein the first rectangular mesa is coupled by a first ridge waveguide to the input sub-wavelength grating coupler at the first input end of the first multimode interference power splitter; ande) wherein the first rectangular mesa is coupled to one or more ridge waveguides at the first output end of the first multimode interference power splitter; viii) a cascade of one or more multimode interference power splitters, wherein each of the one or more multimode interference power splitters comprises:
a) an input end;b) an output end;c) a rectangular mesa defined in the slab;d) wherein the rectangular mesa at the input end of each of the one or more multimode interference power splitters is coupled to one of the one or more ridge waveguides at the first output end of the first multimode interference power splitter or to the output end of one or more multimode interference powers splitters; ande) wherein the rectangular mesa at the output end of each of the one or more multimode interference power splitters is coupled to one or more primary ridge waveguides; ix) a cascade of one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides, wherein each of the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides comprises:
a) an input side, wherein the input side comprises an input impedance taper, wherein the input impedance taper is configured to minimize Fresnel reflections;b) an output side, wherein the output side comprises an output impedance taper, wherein the output impedance taper is configured to minimize Fresnel reflections;c) wherein the input side is coupled to one of the one or more primary ridge waveguides of the output end of one of the one or more multimode interference power splitters or to the output side of one of the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides;d) wherein the output side is coupled to the input side of one of the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides or to an output ridge waveguide;e) a plurality of void columnar members with circular cross-section etched through the slab;f) a core in the slab formed by a row of void columnar members, wherein the row of void columnar members is filled with the material of the slab and wherein the plurality of void columnar members surround the core in the slab and form a periodic triangular or square lattice comprising one or more lattice constants, αs; andg) one or more optical microcavities formed by a group of columnar members, wherein the group of columnar members is filled completely or partially with the material of the slab and wherein the one or more optical microcavities are separated from each other and the core in the slab by one or more lattice constants; x) a first crossing waveguide crossing the one or more primary ridge waveguides substantially orthogonal to and in the plane of the one or more primary ridge waveguides between the input side of the cascade of one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides and the one or more primary ridge waveguides of the output ends of the one or more multimode interference power splitters; and xi) a second crossing waveguide crossing the output ridge waveguide of each of the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides substantially orthogonal to and in the plane of the output ridge waveguides of each of the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides; xii) wherein the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides support one or more guided modes of a broadband source; xiii) wherein each of the one or more optical microcavities support one or more resonance modes; xiv) wherein the one or more optical microcavities with one or more target binding molecules coated on the one or more optical microcavities support one or more resonance modes comprising one or more resonant frequencies resulting in minima in a transmission spectrum of the one or more guided modes of the broadband source at the corresponding resonant frequencies of the one or more optical microcavities; xv) wherein one or more analytes selectively bind to the one or more target binding molecules resulting in shifting the resonance frequencies of the one or more optical microcavities and hence the minima in the transmission spectrum of the one or more guided modes of the broadband source in each photonic crystal waveguide; xvi) wherein the cover polymer disposed on the slab has void openings above the area of the one or more photonic crystal microcavity coupled waveguides to form one or more microfluidic channels; xvii) wherein the package shell has void openings aligned with the one or more microfluidic channels; and xviii) wherein the package shell has void openings aligned with the input sub-wavelength grating coupler.