The transmission interferometric adsorption sensor

Abstract

This paper describes a high-speed adsorption sensor based on thin-film interference at the interfaces. The sensor can be used as a stand-alone instrument or in combination with a direct surface force measurement, which yields a wide range of additional information on molecular interactions on adsorbed films. The achieved mass resolution of the presented method (1–10 ng cm−2 Hz−1/2) is comparable to or better than other modern bio-sensors. The dependence of mass resolution on various factors is presented and demonstrated in a number of relevant examples. The described method is suitable for the implementation of a low-cost bio-sensor with a minimal number of optical elements.The measurement spot size is one micrometre or more and sampling rates >10 Hz are readily possible. In contrast to other bio-sensors, the signal baseline has a remarkable long-term stability since the measured signal is virtually independent of refractive index changes in the fluid medium above the sensor surface.In combination with an optical spectral correlation method, the classical computer calculations are substituted by an optical calculator and a label-free real-time imaging adsorption sensor is realized. We demonstrate sensor operation both inside the extended surface forces apparatus as well as in a stand-alone bio-sensor configuration. As a final point, we illustrate the imaging capability of this new sensor technology on a patterned bio-functionalized surface.