Photonic Crystal-Based Sensors for Biomedical Applications

  • Authors

    • Dr. Geetha Ramasamy Associate Professor, Madurai Kamaraj University, India Author

    DOI:

    https://doi.org/10.67228/3071-6357/IJMRSE-2022PII2V5R

    Published 11-05-2022

  • Photonic Crystals, Biosensors, Biomedical Sensing, Refractive Index Sensing, Fdtd, Optical Resonance, Label-Free Detection

    Issue

    Vol. 5 No. 2 (2022)

    Section

    Articles

    How to Cite

    Photonic Crystal-Based Sensors for Biomedical Applications. (2022). International Journal of Modern Research in Science & Engineering, 5(2), 01-15. https://doi.org/10.67228/3071-6357/IJMRSE-2022PII2V5R

  • Abstract

    Photonic crystal (PhC)-based sensors have emerged as powerful optical sensing systems for biomedical applications due to their high sensitivity, compact size, and compatibility with integrated photonic platforms. These sensors use periodic refractive index variations to control light propagation and create photonic band gaps that enable precise optical mode manipulation. Changes in refractive index caused by biological analytes produce measurable shifts in resonant wavelength, enabling label-free biomolecule detection. This study presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and performance analysis of a two-dimensional photonic crystal biosensor using defect-engineered cavities in a hexagonal lattice to enhance light–matter interaction. Numerical modeling using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) and plane-wave expansion (PWE) methods is employed to evaluate sensor performance. Key parameters such as sensitivity, Q-factor, detection limit, and figure of merit are analyzed for biomedical targets including glucose, DNA, and cancer biomarkers. Simulation results demonstrate high performance with sensitivity exceeding 520 nm/RIU and a Q-factor above 12,000. The proposed sensor also supports microfluidic integration for small sample analysis and shows advantages in miniaturization and multiplexing compared to conventional sensing methods. These findings highlight the potential of photonic crystal biosensors for biomedical diagnostics, personalized medicine, and point-of-care applications.

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