Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing
Optical resonators play an ubiquitous role in modern optics. A particular class of optical resonators is constituted by spherical dielectric structures, where optical rays are total internal reflected. Due to minimal reflection losses and to potentially very low material absorption, these guided mod...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/11/1/785/ |
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| author | Giancarlo C. Righini Stefano Pelli Gualtiero Nunzi Conti Silvia Soria Franco Cosi Massimo Brenci Simone Berneschi |
| author_facet | Giancarlo C. Righini Stefano Pelli Gualtiero Nunzi Conti Silvia Soria Franco Cosi Massimo Brenci Simone Berneschi |
| author_sort | Giancarlo C. Righini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Optical resonators play an ubiquitous role in modern optics. A particular class of optical resonators is constituted by spherical dielectric structures, where optical rays are total internal reflected. Due to minimal reflection losses and to potentially very low material absorption, these guided modes, known as whispering gallery modes, can confer the resonator an exceptionally high quality factor Q, leading to high energy density, narrow resonant-wavelength lines and a lengthy cavity ringdown. These attractive characteristics make these miniaturized optical resonators especially suited as laser cavities and resonant filters, but also as very sensitive sensors. First, a brief analysis is presented of the characteristics of microspherical resonators, of their fabrication methods, and of the light coupling techniques. Then, we attempt to overview some of the recent advances in the development of microspherical biosensors, underlining a number of important applications in the biomedical field. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T19:57:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4039925fc6f54112827df9e43a1cc641 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T19:57:29Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-4039925fc6f54112827df9e43a1cc6412022-12-22T03:18:37ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202011-01-0111178580510.3390/s110100785Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical SensingGiancarlo C. RighiniStefano PelliGualtiero Nunzi ContiSilvia SoriaFranco CosiMassimo BrenciSimone BerneschiOptical resonators play an ubiquitous role in modern optics. A particular class of optical resonators is constituted by spherical dielectric structures, where optical rays are total internal reflected. Due to minimal reflection losses and to potentially very low material absorption, these guided modes, known as whispering gallery modes, can confer the resonator an exceptionally high quality factor Q, leading to high energy density, narrow resonant-wavelength lines and a lengthy cavity ringdown. These attractive characteristics make these miniaturized optical resonators especially suited as laser cavities and resonant filters, but also as very sensitive sensors. First, a brief analysis is presented of the characteristics of microspherical resonators, of their fabrication methods, and of the light coupling techniques. Then, we attempt to overview some of the recent advances in the development of microspherical biosensors, underlining a number of important applications in the biomedical field.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/11/1/785/microsphereswhispering gallery modesbiomedical sensorsoptical resonators |
| spellingShingle | Giancarlo C. Righini Stefano Pelli Gualtiero Nunzi Conti Silvia Soria Franco Cosi Massimo Brenci Simone Berneschi Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing Sensors microspheres whispering gallery modes biomedical sensors optical resonators |
| title | Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing |
| title_full | Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing |
| title_fullStr | Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing |
| title_short | Optical Microspherical Resonators for Biomedical Sensing |
| title_sort | optical microspherical resonators for biomedical sensing |
| topic | microspheres whispering gallery modes biomedical sensors optical resonators |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/11/1/785/ |
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