Abstract

An interferometric detection principle, capable of label-free detection of biomolecules through the employment of broadband light and integrated optics, is presented and analyzed. Broadband Young interferometry (BB-YI) is demonstrated to outperform standard monochromatic Young interferometers through the emergence of two distinct packets of interference fringes, one for TE and one for TM polarization, on the imaging array resulting in the instantaneous and independent measurement of the phase signal for both polarizations over a wide range of wavelengths. This dual polarization aspect eliminates the need for additional external polarizers in order to de-convolute cover medium refractive index changes from biomolecular adlayer buildup and helps in bypassing the inherent limitation of phase ambiguity encountered by monochromatic YI. All these features, combined with the flexibility to employ cost-efficient broadband sources, render BB-YI as an alternative tool suitable for miniaturized bioanalytical systems.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

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