High-Precision Microdisk Laser Particles by Active Photoelectrochemical Etching for Cell Barcoding

Abstract

To study the spatio-temporal evolution of individual cells in an intact tissue or other specific microenvironment, organic fluorophores are widely used. Owing to the broad emission linewidth (full width at half maximum exceeding 50 nm) of the organic fluorophore molecules, only limited number of fluorophores with non-overlapping spectral signatures can be simultaneously observed on the spectral range of the spectrometer. Thus there is a need of optical probes of deterministic colors with non-overlapping narrow spectral signatures. In the recent past, a new class of biophotonic tool – called laser particles – has emerged, which is unique in terms of its narrow spectral linewidth arising from lasing. In the previous studies, however, the lasing wavelength of the individual laser particles has been random. In this presentation, we shall report the first step towards addressing this, by demonstrating fabrication of InGaAsP microdisk laser particles by active photoelectrochemical etching to lase in distinct deterministic narrow-band “colors”. The experimental pathway supported by a theoretical model to explain the results, would be presented. By careful choice of the material system coupled with the design of the disk geometry, we were able to demonstrate multiple unique “color bands” of single-mode lasing of all microdisks simultaneously emitting in the same narrow spectral band. Transferring these wavelength-tuned microdisks onto a PDMS substrate, we create free-standing precision laser particles. This technology could potentially open up a viable avenue to simultaneously identify and image over 20 unique biomarkers in the same spectral bandwidth as currently provided by 4 organic fluorophores.