US20070114364A1 - Dielectric microcavity fluorosensors excited with a broadband light source - Google Patents

Abstract

A microresonator sensor apparatus has a microcavity resonator that defines equatorial whispering gallery modes (EWGMs), whose frequencies are separated by the free spectral range (FSR). The EWGMs lie in a plane perpendicular to a microcavity resonator axis. A light source is optically coupled to inject light into the microcavity resonator. The light source produces output light having an output spectrum whose bandwidth is approximately equal to or broader than the FSR of the EGWMs. One or more fluorescent materials are excited using the excitation light coupled into the microcavity resonator. A fluorescent signal arising from fluorescence of the one or more fluorescent materials is then detected.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/854,911, filed May 27, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The invention is directed generally to optical devices, and more particularly to optical sensors that use microresonators.
BACKGROUND
• Dielectric microspheres have recently drawn increasing attention as fluorosensors in sensing applications. In those sensors, the sensor surface is immobilized with a layer of molecules, such as antibodies, for the subsequent capture of analytes, such as antigens. In a direct assay configuration, antigens are conjugated with fluorescent dye molecules: when the antigen binds with the antibody on the sensor surface, the fluorescent molecule is held sufficiently close to the microsphere surface that it is excited by evanescent light circulating in the microsphere. In a sandwich-type configuration, the antigen is first bound to the antibody on the sensor surface, and then a second layer of antibodies, labeled with a fluorescent dye, is added to bind to the captured antigens. The fluorescent molecules bound to the second layer of antibodies are excited by the evanescent field arising from light propagating in the whispering gallery modes (WGMs) of the microsphere. The resulting fluorescence from the excited dyes is collected and used as an indicator of the antigen binding events.
• The WGMs of the microsphere are associated with a high Q-factor, and so the intensity of light, when coupled into the WGMs, is enhanced, as compared to the input light. The degree of enhancement is proportional to the Q-factor. A narrow bandwidth, tunable semiconductor diode laser, having a sub-megahertz spectral linewidth, is typically used as the light source for exciting a WGM in a microsphere cavity. The bandwidth of the laser light is comparable to the bandwidth of a single WGM resonance. Therefore, when the laser is tuned to a particular WGM resonance, most of the coupled light falls within the resonant bandwidth, and so there is efficient coupling into the WGM resonance. The high cost of such a laser, however, has proved to be a significant obstacle to the widespread introduction of microsphere-based sensors in many applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Accordingly, one particular embodiment of the invention is directed to a microresonator sensor apparatus that comprises a microcavity resonator defining equatorial whispering gallery modes (EWGMs), whose frequencies are separated by the free spectral range (FSR). The EWGMs lie in a plane perpendicular to a microcavity resonator axis. A light source is optically coupled to inject light into the microcavity resonator. The light source produces output light having an output spectrum whose bandwidth is approximately equal to or broader than the FSR of the EGWMs.
• Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of making fluorescent measurements that comprises coupling excitation light into a first microcavity resonator. The first microcavity resonator defines equatorial whispering gallery modes (EWGMs), and the excitation light has a bandwidth sufficiently broad so as to be couplable into at least two adjacent EWGMs. One or more fluorescent materials are excited using the excitation light coupled into the first microcavity resonator. A fluorescent signal arising from fluorescence of the one or more fluorescent materials is then detected.
• The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The invention may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
• FIGS. 1A-1C schematically illustrate different embodiments of microcavity sensors according to principles of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 schematically illustrates whispering gallery modes in a microcavity resonator;
• FIGS. 3A-3C schematically illustrate cylindrical, spherical and bulge-like microcavities respectively;
• FIGS. 4A-4C schematically present portions of the resonant spectra of the microcavities illustrated inFIGS. 3A-3C respectively;
• FIG. 5A shows the bandwidth of an exemplary light source;
• FIG. 5B shows the bandwidth of a light source that emits light into resonant modes;
• FIG. 6 shows resonant spectra of a microcavity as measured using narrowband light from a tunable semiconductor laser; and
• FIG. 7 shows the temporal dependence of a fluorescent signal obtained from a microcavity when excited with broadband light.
• While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• The present invention is particularly applicable to optical sensors that use microcavity resonators. Such resonators may also be referred to as microresonators.
• In contrast to the narrow-bandwidth tunable diode laser, a semiconductor light source with a broader linewidth is relatively inexpensive. A broad bandwidth light source has heretofore been considered to be unsuitable for application with high-Q factor microspheres, because only a small portion of the output light from such a light source spectrally overlaps a single whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonance of the microsphere and can experience the enhancement afforded by the microsphere.
• Broadband light sources are suitable for use with microcavities, however, when the spectral mode density of the microcavity is high and the light is coupled into multiple WGMs. Under such conditions, a significant fraction of the output from the broadband source can be coupled into the microcavity, and so the combination of a broadband light source and microcavity leads to a fluorosensor having high sensitivity with low associated component cost.
• An example of a microcavity-waveguide system100 that uses a microresonator is schematically illustrated inFIG. 1A. Alight source102 directs light along awaveguide104 to adetector unit106. Themicroresonator110 is optically coupled to thewaveguide104.Light108 from thelight source102 is launched into thewaveguide104 and propagates towards thedetector unit106. Themicroresonator110 evanescently couples some of thelight108 out of thewaveguide104, the out-coupledlight112 propagating within themicroresonator110 at one of the resonant frequencies of themicroresonator110.
• Thelight source102 may be any suitable type of light source. For increased efficiency and sensitivity, it is advantageous that the light source produces light that is efficiently coupled into thewaveguide104, for example the light source may be a laser such as a laser diode, or may be a light emitting diode. Thelight source102 generateslight108 at a desired wavelength, or wavelength range. For example, where the microresonator is used in a sensor, thelight source102 generates light at a wavelength that interacts with the species being sensed. The species being sensed is typically located in proximity to the surface of themicroresonator110 so that the light propagating in the WGM interacts with the species being sensed. Thelight source102 may also comprise a lamp, along with suitable optics for coupling light from the lamp into thewaveguide104.
• For example, when thesystem100 is used as a fluorosensor, the light propagating within themicroresonator110 is absorbed by a fluorescent molecule, such as a fluorescent dye, that is attached on the microresonator surface to an analyte or to a marker that indicates the presence of the analyte. In a more specific example, the surface of the microresonator may be attached with antibodies specific to a desired antigen analyte. The analyte antigen molecules, conjugated with a fluorescent dye, are introduced to thesensor system100. The antigen molecules bind to the antibody molecules on themicroresonator110, thus holding the fluorescent dye molecules sufficiently close to themicroresonator110 that the light circulating withinmicroresonator110 evanescently couples to the fluorescent molecules. The absorbed light excites the fluorescent molecules and the molecules subsequently fluoresce at a wavelength different from the excitation wavelength. Detection of the fluorescent light confirms the presence of the analyte antigen.
• In another example, the analyte antigen molecules are not conjugated with a fluorescent dye, but are allowed to bind to the antibodies attached to the microresonator surface. More antibodies, conjugated to fluorescent molecules, are subsequently introduced to the sensor, and bind to the antigen. Again, the fluorescent molecules are excited by an evanescent interaction with the light propagating within themicroresonator110, and detection of the subsequent fluorescence may be used to determine the presence and abundance of the analyte antigen.
• Thelight source102 may direct light into a number of different waveguides, of which thewaveguide104 is one such example Thewaveguide104 may be any suitable type of waveguide and may be, for example, a planar waveguide or a channel waveguide formed in or on a substrate, such as a waveguide formed in a silica substrate. Thewaveguide104 may also be an optical fiber.
• Thedetector unit106 includes a light detector, for example a photodiode or phototransistor, to detect light. Thedetector unit106 may also include a wavelength sensitive device that selects the wavelength of light reaching the light detector. The wavelength selective device may be, for example, a filter, or a spectrometer. The wavelength selective device may be tunable so as to permit the user to actively change the wavelength of light incident on the light detector.
• Themicroresonator110 may be positioned in physical contact with, or very close to, thewaveguide104 so that a portion of the light108 propagating along thewaveguide104 is evanescently coupled into themicroresonator110. Thewaveguide104 typically has little or no cladding at the point where the microresonator110 couples to thewaveguide104, so that the microresonator110 couples directly to the core of thewaveguide104.
• Another type ofmicroresonator device150 is schematically illustrated inFIG. 1B. In thisdevice150, light158 from themicroresonator110 is coupled into asecond waveguide154, and propagates to thedetector106.
• Another type ofmicroresonator device170 is schematically illustrated inFIG. 1C. In thisdevice170, asecond detector172 is positioned close to themicroresonator110 to detect light from themicroresonator110. The light detected by thesecond detector172 does not pass to thesecond detector172 via a waveguide, and is said to propagate through free space. The light from themicroresonator110 that is detected by thesecond detector172 may be, for example, scattered out of themicroresonator110 or may be fluorescent light arising from excitation of a fluorescent species, attached to the surface of the microresonator, by light circulating within themicroresonator110. Thesecond detector172 may detect all wavelengths of light from themicroresonator110 or, for example through the use of a wavelengthselective element174 placed between thesecond detector172 and themicroresonator110, may detect light that lies in a specific wavelength range. The wavelengthselective element174 may, for example, be a filter that rejects light at the excitation wavelength resonating within themicroresonator110 and that transmits light at the fluorescent wavelength. Thesecond detector172 may also be used with a configuration like that shown inFIG. 1B.
• Light propagates within the microresonator in so-called “whispering gallery modes”, an example of which is schematically illustrated inFIG. 2. In a whispering gallery mode (WGM)202, the light propagates around themicroresonator210 from an origin via a number of total internal reflections, until it returns to the origin. In the illustrated embodiment, theWGM202 includes eight total internal reflections in a single round trip. It will be appreciated that the light may propagate within themicroresonator210 in other WGMs that correspond to different numbers of total internal reflections.
• Furthermore, theWGM202 only demonstrates a high Q-factor where the light is of such a wavelength that it constructively interferes after one round trip. Stated another way, the optical path length around theWGM202 is equal to an integral number of wavelengths. This resonant condition for light in theplanar WGM202 illustrated inFIG. 2 can be stated mathematically as:
  1λ₁=L   (1)
  where λ₁is the wavelength of the lth mode in vacuum, L is the optical length of one round trip of the WGM, and l is an integer, referred to as the mode number. Light from thewaveguide104 that satisfies the resonant condition (1) is efficiently coupled to the microresonator. The resonant modes of microcavities are described further in, for example, “Theory of morphology-dependent resonances: shape resonances and width formulas”, B. R. Johnson,Journal of the Optical Society of America A,vol. 10, pages 343-352, (1993), and “Mapping whispering-gallery modes in microspheres with a near-field probe”, J. C. Knight et al.,Optical Letters,vol. 20, pages 1515-1517 (1995).
• The electric field intensity of the WGM peaks at the interior surface of themicroresonator210. The electric field intensity of the WGM decays exponentially outside themicroresonator210, with a characteristic decay length, d, given approximately by d≈λ/n where λ is the wavelength of the light in vacuum and n is the refractive index of the medium outside themicroresonator210. The field intensity, E, is schematically illustrated inFIG. 2 for theWGM202 along the cross-section line AA′.
• Themicroresonator210 typically has a diameter in the range from 20 μm to a few millimeters, but is more often in the range 50 μm-500 μm. Furthermore, the waveguide is often tapered to increase the intensity of the optical field intensity outside the waveguide, thus increasing the amount of light that couples into the microresonator. In the case of an optical fiber waveguide, the fiber may be heated and tapered or etched to a total thickness of about 1-5 μm. Likewise, with a planar or channel waveguide, the waveguide thickness may be reduced at the region where the light is coupled to the microresonator. In addition to the waveguide being reduced in size, the thickness of the cladding around the waveguide may also be reduced. Various approaches to coupling the microresonator to a waveguide or fiber are discussed in greater detail in commonly owned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/685,049, incorporated herein by reference.
• Different types of microcavity resonators are now described with reference toFIGS. 3A-4C. Each of theWGMS306,316 and326 shown inFIGS. 4A-4C corresponds to a WGM having only a single number of total internal reflections.
• FIG. 3A schematically illustrates acylindrical microresonator300, with alongitudinal axis302 that lies parallel to thecircular walls304 of thecylindrical microresonator300. Such a microresonator may be formed, for example, using an optical fiber, where light is coupled tangentially into the side of the fiber, in a direction perpendicular to the fiber axis. TheWGM306 is shown in dashed lines, lying in a plane that is perpendicular to theaxis302. Thecylindrical microresonator300 does not support WGM modes that lie in a plane non-perpendicular to the axis, since such light does not follow a closed path and escapes from the resonant cavity. Because theWGM306 lies in a plane perpendicular to theaxis302, the WGM may be referred to as an equatorial WGM (EWGM).
• Accordingly, the resonant spectrum of theEWGM306 is like that shown inFIG. 4A, which shows the resonances plotted as a function of frequency, ν. The lth resonant mode is separated from the (l+1)th resonant mode by a separation equal to Δν, also referred to as the free spectral range (FSR), where Δν corresponds to an increase of one in the number of wavelengths around theEWGM306. The FSR may be calculated in terms of frequency according to the following expression:
  FSR=Δν=c/L≈c/(πnD)   (2)
  where c is the speed of light in vacuum, n is the refractive index of the microcavity, D is the cylinder diameter, and nπD approximates the optical length of one round trip of the EWGM. The lth and (l+1)th mode are referred to as adjacent EGWM modes.
• Note that FSR can also be expressed in terms of wavelength:
  FSR(in wavelength)=Δνλ²/c=λ²/(πnD)   (3)
  where λ is the wavelength of light in vacuum. Both definitions of FSR are used here interchangeably.
• Other EWGMs have different numbers of total internal reflections and, therefore, have optical path lengths different from that of the mode shown. The resonant frequencies associated with these other EGWMs are different from the resonant frequencies shown inFIG. 4A.
• FIG. 3B schematically illustrates aspherical microresonator310 positioned on anaxis312. Such a microresonator may be formed, for example, using a glass sphere having aspherical wall314. TheEWGM316 is shown, in dashed lines, lying in a plane perpendicular to theaxis312. The resonant spectrum of theEWGM316 is schematically illustrated in the graph shown inFIG. 4B. Like theEWGM306 of the cylindrical resonator, the frequency spacing between adjacent resonances is given by Δν (FSR), where Δν corresponds to an increase of one in the number of whole integer wavelengths around theEWGM316. The FSR is given by expression (2) above, where D is the diameter of thespherical microresonator310.
• Unlike the planar microresonator, however, thespherical microresonator310 does support WGMs that do not lie perpendicular to theaxis312. Onesuch WGM318 is shown (in dashed lines) that lies at an angle, θ, relative to theWGM316. TheWGM318 is referred to as a non-equatorial mode, or azimuthal mode. Since themicroresonator310 is spherical, however, the path length of theWGM318 is identical to the path length of theEWGM316, and so the resonant frequencies for theWGM318 are identical to those forEWGM316. Since the frequency of the non-equatorial modes is the same as the EWGM, the non-equatorial modes are said to be degenerate in frequency.
• Other resonant spectra, corresponding to EWGMs having different numbers of total internal reflections, have resonant frequencies different from the resonant frequencies shown inFIG. 4B.
• FIG. 3C schematically illustrates amicroresonator320 that is neither cylindrical, nor spherical. In the illustrated embodiment, themicroresonator320 has anellipsoidal wall324. Themicroresonator320 is positioned on anaxis322. AnEWGM326 is shown in dashed lines lying in a plane perpendicular to theaxis322. Some of the resonances of theequatorial EWGM326 are schematically shown asresonances327 in the graph shown inFIG. 4C. The frequency spacing betweenadjacent resonances327 of theEWGM326 is given by Δν (FSR), where Au corresponds to an increase of one in the number of whole integer wavelengths around theEWGM326. The FSR is given by expressions (2) and (3) above, where nπD approximates the optical path length of one round trip of the EWGM.
• When the optical path of a mode is tilted through an angle, θ, from zero, to form a non-equatorial path, the resonances associated with the non-equatorial path are not the same as those for the equatorial mode, however. This is because the path length around the elliptical microresonator varies when θ is increased from zero. In other words, the path length for the equatorial mode is different from that of the non-equatorial mode. Thus, different non-equatorial WGMs have different resonant frequencies that vary with values of θ. Thus, the resonance spectrum for themicroresonator320 containsmany resonances329 for non-equatorial modes that “fit-in” to the regions betweenresonances327 of the equatorial modes. Note that only a few of the non-equatorial resonances have been included inFIG. 4C, and the representation ofnon-equatorial resonances329 inFIG. 4C is given only for qualitative purposes. The magnitudes of thenon-equatorial resonances329 are shown inFIG. 4C to be less than the magnitudes of theequatorial resonances327 for purposes of distinguishing between equatorial and non-equatorial resonances. There is no intention, however, to indicate that thenon-equatorial resonances329 have a different Q-factor from theequatorial resonances327. In such a case, when a broadband light source is used, the total light intensity in the microcavity is enhanced by a factor proportional to the number of modes that fit into one FSR.
• One type of microcavity resonator that has a broad range of cavity resonance frequencies is the bulge-like microcavity, described in greater detail in DIELECTRIC MICROCAVITY SENSORS, filed on even date herewith by X. Fan and R. Wilson, and having attorney docket no. 59632US002, incorporated herein by reference.
• The light that is coupled into the microcavity may have a relatively broad spectrum and, for example, may be approximately equal to or greater than the FSR of the EWGM of the microcavity, Δν. The bandwidth of the light is typically measured as its full width, half maximum (FWHM) bandwidth, seeFIG. 5A. Where the light is generated in a laser, the light spectrum may comprise a number ofdiscrete modes502, corresponding to the Fabry-Perot resonances of the laser, that lie within an amplitude envelope504: see the schematic illustration inFIG. 5B. In such a case, the bandwidth of the light is the FWHM bandwidth of theenvelope504.
• In a conventional cylindrical microresonator, the coupling of light from the waveguide to the microresonator is sensitive to the alignment between the waveguide and the microresonator: if the light is not injected into the equatorial mode of the microresonator, then the light may enter a low Q mode and be quickly lost. The coupling of light is less sensitive to the alignment of a bulge-like cavity relative to the waveguide, however, since the bulge-like cavities provide light confinement in three dimensions, and not just two as with a cylindrical microcavity. Furthermore, even though the cylindrical microcavity may have a large lateral extent, along the cylindrical axis, for example when formed from an optical fiber, the waveguide that couples light into the cylindrical microcavity is typically relatively narrow. Relatively wider waveguides support greater numbers of transverse modes, thus increasing the possibility that light from the waveguide will enter into a non-equatorial WGM of the cylindrical microcavity and be lost. Wider waveguides may be used with bulge-like microcavities, however, since the three dimensional confinement properties of the bulge-like microcavity permits the efficient excitation of non-equatorial modes that have a high Q. The use of wider waveguides may lead to an improved optical coupling efficiency for light between the light source and the waveguide and between the waveguide and the microcavity.
• Thus, the use of a microresonator that is not cylindrical leads to the presence of cavity resonances having many more different values of resonant frequency than a cylindrical microcavity. In addition, a microcavity that is not spherical does not show the same frequency degeneracy as a spherical microcavity. As a result, a non-spherical microcavity (having non-equatorial modes with non-degenerate frequencies) results in an increase in the number of different frequencies at which resonance can take place. Such a microcavity resonator can demonstrate the existence of higher numbers of resonances per unit frequency as compared with the cylindrical or spherical microresonators ofFIGS. 3A and 3B. However, it is difficult to obtain a microcavity that is perfectly spherical, and even a small non-sphericity in the microcavity results in a breaking of the degeneracy. Thus, light from a broadband light source may effectively be coupled into multiple cavity resonant modes. Examples of broadband light sources include light emitting diodes and semiconductor lasers, such as a semiconductor laser having a Fabry-Perot cavity. Such broadband light sources are considerably less costly than tunable semiconductor lasers that produce light with an output bandwidth of less than 1 MHz. Thus, in one exemplary embodiment, light may be supplied by the light source having a bandwidth that is approximately the same as, or greater than, one FSR of an EGWM of the microresonator. In another exemplary embodiment, the bandwidth of the light may be more than five time the FSR, and in another exemplary embodiment, may be more than ten times the FSR.
EXAMPLE
• An experiment was performed in which the illumination with a frequency-narrowed, tunable semiconductor diode laser was compared with the illumination using a broadband source. The experimental setup was similar to that illustrated inFIG. 1C, in which the light source directed light in the range of 630-635 nm through a tapered fiber as the coupling waveguide. The fiber core tapered to a diameter of around 1.5 μm-2.5 μm. A first detector was positioned to detect light that had passed along the waveguide, past the microcavity. A second detector was positioned to detect the free space emission of light from the microcavity.
• A glass microcavity was formed with a diameter of about 150 μm by melting the tip of a SFM28 optical fiber with a CO₂laser. The glass microcavity was close to being spherical and was attached with biotinated bovine serum albumin (BSA). A sample of streptavidin was labeled with Alexa Fluor647 as a fluorophore. The streptavidin sample, having a concentration of 800 pM (50 ng/ml) was introduced to the microcavity. The streptavidin bound to the biotin on the microcavity surface, thus binding the fluorophore to the microcavity.
• The microcavity was first illuminated with light coupled from a tunable semiconductor laser, tunable over the range of at least 630 nm-633 nm.FIG. 6 shows the spectra obtained from the two detectors when the laser was scanned over a range of about 25 pm. The upper curve, labeled602, corresponds to the signal detected by the first detector. The dips in the detection signal correspond to resonances of the microcavity. The free spectral range (FSR) of the microcavity was calculated using expression (3):
  FSR(in wavelength)=Δνπ²/c=λ²/(πnD)   (3)
  where c is the speed of light in vacuum, λ is the wavelength of the light in vacuum, n is the refractive index of the microcavity and D approximates the diameter of the nearly spherical microcavity. For the microcavity used in the experiments, the FSR was approximately 580 pm.
• The lower curve, labeled604, corresponds to the free space fluorescent signal detected by the second detector located close to the microcavity. The fluorescent peaks ofcurve604 correspond to excitation of the fluorophore at the resonant frequencies of the microcavity.
• In the next experiment, a microcavity having a diameter of about 250 μm, with a concomitant FSR of about 350 pm, was illuminated using light from a laser diode that had an output at 635 nm and an output bandwidth of 0.5 nm (500 pm). In this particular example, the bandwidth of the light output from the laser is greater than a single FSR. The optical power coupled into the fiber taper was approximately 250 μW.
• A streptavidin sample, having a concentration of 8 pM, (500 pg/ml) was introduced to the surface of the microcavity. The response of the second detector, which detected the free-space fluorescent signal, is provided in the graph inFIG. 6 as a function of time. The excitation light was initially blocked at the input to the tapered fiber, so that no light was coupled into the microcavity, point A. Accordingly, the signal level at point A, approximately 0.03 V, corresponds to the level of background noise in the signal from the second detector.
• When the excitation light was unblocked at point B, a strong fluorescent signal was observed. This corresponds to the fluorophore emitting light as a result of being excited by light resonant in the microcavity. The signal at point B is approximately 3V, and so the signal-to-noise ratio was about 100. The light from the laser diode was chopped and the fluorescent signal detected using a lock-in amplifier.
• After approximately 180-200 sec of excitation time, the fluorescent signal had fallen to a level of about 0.08 V. This reduction in signal strength over time was attributed to bleaching of the dye molecules.
• These experimental results demonstrate the detection of Streptavidin (labeled with Alexa Fluor647) with a concentration as low as 8 pM (500 pg/ml), where the light source had a bandwidth of more than the FSR of the microcavity. The detection limit is estimated to be approximately 80 fM (5 pg/ml), everything else being equal. It is expected that, when the fluorosensor is incorporated with a fluidic system for a more efficient sample delivery, an even lower detection limit may be achieved.
• The experiment described above shows that broadband light sources, instead of tunable, narrowband sources, can effectively be used in fluorosensing measurements. The use of broadband light sources, for example, light sources whose output light has a bandwidth greater than the free spectral range of a WGM, may lead to a significant reduction in the component cost of microcavity fluorosensor systems.
• Accordingly, the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above, but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims. Various modifications, equivalent processes, as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification. The claims are intended to cover such modifications and devices.

Claims (16)

1. A method of taking fluorescent measurements, comprising:

coupling excitation light into multiple resonant modes of a microcavity resonator;

exciting one or more fluorescent materials using the multiple resonant modes; and

detecting a fluorescent signal arising from fluorescence of the one or more fluorescent materials.

2. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein the multiple resonant modes comprise at least two whispering gallery modes (WGMs).

3. A method as recited inclaim 2, wherein the at least two WGMs comprise at least two adjacent WGMs.

4. A method as recited inclaim 2, wherein the at least two WGMs comprise at least two equatorial whispering gallery modes (EWGMs).

5. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein coupling the excitation light comprises generating the excitation light using a light source and passing the excitation light from the light source to the microcavity resonator via an optical waveguide.

6. A method as recited inclaim 5, wherein generating the excitation light comprises generating the excitation light in a laser.

7. A method as recited inclaim 5, wherein generating the excitation light comprises generating the excitation light in a light emitting diode.

8. A method as recited inclaim 5, wherein the optical waveguide comprises a tapered fiber.

9. A method as recited inclaim 5, wherein the optical waveguide comprises a planar or channel waveguide.

10. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein detecting the fluorescent signal comprises detecting light propagating in free space from the microcavity resonator.

11. A method as recited inclaim 1 further comprising optically filtering the fluorescent signal before detecting the fluorescent signal.

12. A method as recited inclaim 1 further comprising attaching an analyte to the microcavity resonator, the one or more fluorescent materials being associated with the analyte.

13. A method as recited inclaim 12 further comprising attaching the one or more fluorescent materials to the analyte before attaching the analyte to the microcavity resonator.

14. A method as recited inclaim 12 further comprising attaching the one or more fluorescent materials to the analyte after attaching the analyte to the microcavity resonator.

15. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein the excitation light has a bandwidth sufficiently broad so as to be capable of coupling into at least five resonant modes of the microcavity resonator.

16. A method as recited inclaim 1, wherein the excitation light has a bandwidth sufficiently broad so as to be capable of coupling into at least ten resonant modes of the microcavity resonator.

Images