Analysis of BCB and SU 8 photonic waveguide in MZI architecture for point-of-care devices

The proposed refractive index-based biosensor made of cost-effective polymer material in Mach-Zehnder configuration with novel horizontal slot waveguide structure offers high sensitivity. Due to the recent demand for low-cost point-of-care biosensor, silicon wafer-based polymer material has the potential for developing new hybrid waveguides for sensors. Hence we designed BenzoCycloButene (BCB), SU8 material as the core, and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) clad on a silicon wafer. The novelty of proposed BCB and SU8 horizontal slot waveguide structure of 2.5 $\mu$ m wide and 1.$8\mu$ m thick with a slot height of 400 ​nm, which handles the analyte effectively without any external sample holder. In Mach-Zehnder Interferometer architecture, reference arm 1 ​cm and sensing arm at a length of 1.1 ​cm with analyte refractive index of cancer cell (RI ​= ​1.401) and Influenza A type virus (RI ​= ​1.48) are used. Effective mode index of BCB core and SU8 are investigated through Finite-difference time domain (FDTD) analysis, and sensitivity results are calculated. Detection of disease are plotted in the transmission spectrum with reference to normal human serum (RI ​= ​1.35). This horizontal slot waveguide of BCB core achieves a sensitivity of 19280 nm/RIU and SU8 horizontal slot core waveguide provides a sensitivity of 16500 nm/RIU, which is higher in this polymer based refractive index biosensing.