DESIGN FOR A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SENSOR BASED ON OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE MODES IN A MICROCHIP HAVING A PERIODIC STRUCTURE OF DIELECTRIC MEDIA

摘要

The present invention concerns an optical microchip consisting of a periodic structure of a dielectric medium covering a reflective film deposited on a transparent substrate. This sensor, based on optical waveguide modes, uses a mechanism of attenuated total reflection to confine the light in the network, and a detection mechanism for detecting the light reflected on the film. The sensor detects the specimen in an angular interval of the incidence of the light or the reflected intensity varies by coupling with a waveguide mode of the optical chip designed in this way. Reading is carried out by detecting the variation in the angle of incidence or the intensity of light reflected on the chip occurring when the specimen to be detected is adsorbed, or fixed, on the surface of the chip.