ARROW waveguides based refractometer for chemical and biochemical sensing application

A new optical integrated refractometer, realizable using standard silicon integrated circuits technologies, for chemical and biochemical sensing applications is presented. The sensor is based on an antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) and uses, as the sensing principle, the strong attenuation dependence on the refractive index of the outer medium. Theoretical predictions and numerical analysis of the sensor behavior are shown along with design trade-offs, sensitivity and measurement range.