The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Optical sensing with Anderson localized light

Optical sensing with Anderson localized light
Optical sensing with Anderson localized light
Optical sensing is of importance in a variety of applications [1]: it can permit the detection of hazardous/desired contaminants, monitor chemical reactions and provide quantitative analysis of processes [1] To this end, a range of devices have been developed, based on the confinement of light via plasmonic resonances and photonic crystal cavities. The former suffer from relatively broad resonances, the latter, while providing higher sensitivities thanks to the sharper resonances, are not scalable.
In order to circumvent the problem of scalability we realize photonic crystal sensors that use fabrication imperfections as a resource to provide highly efficient light confinement [2].
Photonic crystal waveguides confining light in the visible are characterized by means of confocal micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is deposited onto the surface of a device: the local refractive index change (of 0.38) spectrally shifts the cavity resonances of as much as 15.2nm, for a resonance linewidth of 0.15nm. The shift is of more than 100 times the linewidth of the cavity and is fully reversible once the IPA evaporates [3].
By studying the temperature dependence of the optical resonances, we show temperature sensing, improved light confinement at cryogenic temperatures and the potential of temperature tuning the spectral resonances for quantum optics experiments.
Our results prove that Anderson localization of light can be used as a novel platform for high-quality optical sensing, benefitting from the sharp resonances proper to photonic crystal devices and the scalability provided by the use of fabrication imperfections as a resource to confine light. Each device also provides tens of optical resonances which could allow multiple sensor readings from a single device.
[1] J. Hodgkinson et al., Meas. Sci. Technol. 24, 012004 (2013)
[2] T. Crane et al., ACS Photonics 4, 2274 (2017)
[3] O. Trojak et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 141103 (2017)
Trojak, Oliver, Joe
795f56e4-951b-48ec-95c3-8af4e0d8f3d5
Crane, Tom
9f60e57e-6c22-4dc2-8290-2224b3a181e6
Sapienza, Luca
a2e0cf6c-1f22-4a5a-87a2-ffab0e24e6ac
Trojak, Oliver, Joe
795f56e4-951b-48ec-95c3-8af4e0d8f3d5
Crane, Tom
9f60e57e-6c22-4dc2-8290-2224b3a181e6
Sapienza, Luca
a2e0cf6c-1f22-4a5a-87a2-ffab0e24e6ac

Trojak, Oliver, Joe, Crane, Tom and Sapienza, Luca (2018) Optical sensing with Anderson localized light. SPIE photonics europe, , Strasbourg, France. 22 - 26 Apr 2018.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Poster)

Abstract

Optical sensing is of importance in a variety of applications [1]: it can permit the detection of hazardous/desired contaminants, monitor chemical reactions and provide quantitative analysis of processes [1] To this end, a range of devices have been developed, based on the confinement of light via plasmonic resonances and photonic crystal cavities. The former suffer from relatively broad resonances, the latter, while providing higher sensitivities thanks to the sharper resonances, are not scalable.
In order to circumvent the problem of scalability we realize photonic crystal sensors that use fabrication imperfections as a resource to provide highly efficient light confinement [2].
Photonic crystal waveguides confining light in the visible are characterized by means of confocal micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is deposited onto the surface of a device: the local refractive index change (of 0.38) spectrally shifts the cavity resonances of as much as 15.2nm, for a resonance linewidth of 0.15nm. The shift is of more than 100 times the linewidth of the cavity and is fully reversible once the IPA evaporates [3].
By studying the temperature dependence of the optical resonances, we show temperature sensing, improved light confinement at cryogenic temperatures and the potential of temperature tuning the spectral resonances for quantum optics experiments.
Our results prove that Anderson localization of light can be used as a novel platform for high-quality optical sensing, benefitting from the sharp resonances proper to photonic crystal devices and the scalability provided by the use of fabrication imperfections as a resource to confine light. Each device also provides tens of optical resonances which could allow multiple sensor readings from a single device.
[1] J. Hodgkinson et al., Meas. Sci. Technol. 24, 012004 (2013)
[2] T. Crane et al., ACS Photonics 4, 2274 (2017)
[3] O. Trojak et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 141103 (2017)

Text
Sensing_abstract_v1.4 - Author's Original
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (128kB)

More information

Accepted/In Press date: 26 February 2018
Published date: 26 April 2018
Venue - Dates: SPIE photonics europe, , Strasbourg, France, 2018-04-22 - 2018-04-26

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 418245
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/418245
PURE UUID: a59fb890-6cbe-4843-9f67-aac6847ba4fe
ORCID for Oliver, Joe Trojak: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2296-6036

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Feb 2018 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 06:43

Export record

Contributors

Author: Oliver, Joe Trojak ORCID iD
Author: Tom Crane
Author: Luca Sapienza

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×