OPTICAL ELEMENT, METHOD FOR PROVING THE PRESENCE OF SUBSTANCES, AND APPLICATION OF THE OPTICAL ELEMENT

摘要

The invention relates to an optical element for proving the presence of a substance having a photonic crystal (1), the cavities of which are filled with a fluid, and which is arranged between two crossed polarization filters (21, 22). At least one partial area (11, 12, 13, 14) of a surface of the photonic crystal (1) facing one of the two polarization filters (21, 22), or facing the cavities, has at least one medium within 100 nm below the surface, the refraction index of said medium differing both from the refraction index of the photonic crystal (1) and the refraction index of the fluids, at least after coming in contact with the substances to be proved. The invention further relates to a method for proving the presence of substances by way of the optical element, and the application thereof as a sensor for proving the presence of chemical or biological substances, particularly antibodies, enzymes, bacteria, or cells. The present invention allows the simple, direct, fast, economical, and user-friendly proving of substances, without the need for power or voltage supply. If the partial areas were constructed as patterns in the form of conclusive symbols, said sensors could even be used by illiterates.