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In this work, we present a silicon-photonic sensor capable of measuring refractive index and chemical binding of biomolecules on the surface, using a low-cost phase interrogation scheme. The sensor consists of a pair of balanced Mach-Zehnder interferometers with interaction lengths of 2.5 mm and 22 mm, wound to a sensing area of only 500 μm x500 μm. The phase interrogation is performed with a fixed laser and an active phase demodulation approach based on a phase generated carrier (PGC) technique using a phase demodulator integrated within the chip. No laser tuning is required, and the technique can extract the univocal phase value with no sensitivity fading. The detection only requires a photo-receiver per interferometer, analog-to-digital conversion, and simple processing performed in real-time. We present repeatable and linear refractive index measurements, with a detection limit down to 4.7·10-7 RIU. We also present sensing results on a chemically-functionalized sample, where anti-BSA to BSA (bovine serum albumin) binding curves are clearly visible for concentrations down to 5 ppm. Considering the advantages of silicon photonics, this device has great potential over several applications in the chemical/biochemical sensing industry.
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