FIP Seminar: Exploiting Light-Matter Interaction in Silicon Photonics for Biosensing

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Wed, 09/26/2018 - 12:00 to 13:00

Sharon Weiss

Presenter

Dr. Sharon Weiss, Cornelius Vanderbilt Endowed Chair and Professor of Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Materials Science & Engineering Deputy Director, Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University

Abstract: Silicon has traditionally been associated with being the most favorable material platform for most modern microelectronics technologies due to its electronic properties, compatibility with lithographic patterning, and earth abundance. However, silicon is also a favorable material platform for supporting light propagation. This talk will focus on design approaches for enhancing light-matter interaction on a silicon platform for the application of molecular detection of chemicals and biomolecules. Optical biosensors based on silicon hold great promise as low-cost, lab-on-chip sensor array elements due to their compatibility with both standard microelectronics processing and standard surface functionalization techniques. The sensitivity of these optical biosensors is fundamentally derived from the level of interaction between light and the target molecules to be detected. Specific approaches to increasing light-matter interaction of silicon photonic biosensors will be presented, including the introduction of subwavelength features, along with illustrative examples of specific molecular detection of proteins, DNA, and other small molecules. Bio: Sharon Weiss is a Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in Engineering and Professor of Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Materials Science at Vanderbilt University. She also serves as Deputy Director of the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE).