Molecular photonics for biosensing and photostimulation

Abstract

Merging organic pi-conjugated materials with photonic microresonators offers a plethora of opportunities for biosensing/imaging and optical control. Here, I will summarize our recent work in this area. Of particular interest for sensing are our recently developed optical filters that provide spectrally sharp and angle-independent separation of fluorescence excitation and emission by exploiting a previously overlooked strong light–matter coupling effect. This represents a major advance over conventional filters, which show strong changes in stop/pass-band position with angle. Our new filters are particularly relevant for future lens-free lab-on-chip fluorescence microscopy. In a further example of combining organics and resonators, we develop microscopic lasers for miniaturized and highly multiplexed biosensing. Uses range from intracellular sensing to the optical detection of analytes in solution, with recent examples covering the sensing of DNA and aptamers. Finally, on the photostimulation-front, we adapt the OLED technology widely used in the display industry, to develop optoelectronic micro-implants for light-based control of neuronal behaviour in a range of animal models.