Photonic crystals as templates and active devices for cellular and molecular interactions

Abstract

Photonic crystals are emerging as an important class of engineered nanophotonic devices that possess unique optical properties and which can also provide textured surfaces for the study and control of cellular and molecular interactions. From among the many types of photonic crystal structures, two-dimensional (2D) and planar (slab) photonic crystals are the most attractive because of their ability to support guided-wave and active optical devices in semiconductor and polymer materials, serve as templates for device replication, and interface with colloidal and nanoparticle systems. This paper reports on the results of modeling and design efforts that show how 2d and slab silicon photonic crystals, based on their in-plane optical waveguiding and out-of-plane radiation properties, might be used to probe surface-bound cells and molecules or perform localized spectroscopy. The results of a parametric analysis show that photonic crystals comprised of high-index contrast materials (e.g. Si, air) are sensitive to geometric and material factors, potentially making them an effective medium to study molecular and cellular interactions critical to a number of biotechnological applications