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Zawartość zarchiwizowana w dniu 2022-12-23

Phase of a light wave under surface plasmon resonance as a novel ultra-sensitive means for biological and chemical sensing

Cel

The objectives of the project are the comprehensive knowledge on the phase behaviour of a light wave reflected from a multi-layer system under conditions of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and using the phase as an information source for ultra-sensitive (bio)chemical sensor systems to be applied in environmental monitoring and medicine.

The project is based on recent findings of the General Physics Institute group (Moscow, Russia). From theoretical analysis and preliminary experiments it has been concluded that the sensitivity limits of SPR-based sensors can be improved by about two orders of magnitude if one goes from conventional measurements of intensity of the reflected wave to detection of its phase. For this purpose, SPR interferometry has been introduced as a novel sensing technique. It can also provide for dynamic range as wide as that of traditional SPR methods and real-time regime of sensing. The mentioned advantages open up possibilities for a qualitatively new level of (bio)chemical sensor systems. The examples of problems chosen in this project to demonstrate the capabilities of phase-sensitive SPR techniques are monitoring of pesticides in potable water and detection of hepatitis B virus in human blood serum. They both are of great economic and social value. Besides, since even a single virus can cause the infection, lowering its detectability threshold by every order of magnitude is of living importance for practical medicine.

The work will begin with establishing the theoretical model that describes SPR on an arbitrary multi-layer system. Emphasis will be given to those configurations and variations of parameters, which are relevant to biological and chemical sensors. The model will be verified experimentally. Maximum achievable sensitivities will be estimated. Then high-precision measurement methodologies and instrumental schemes will be developed in order to obtain information on the binding of an analyte with a (bio)chemical receptor layer from the SPR-reflected light phase. Two main approaches will be studied. One relates to polarimetric (ellipsometric) methods of light phase detection, the other does to interferometric ones. In parallel, the technologies for silver and gold film deposition and functionalisation of their surfaces with receptor layers will be elaborated. They will yield SPR sensor chips adequate to highly sensitive SPR-phase techniques and relevant to the chosen sensing problems. As a result, laboratory prototypes of the sensors will be designed. The eventual stage of the work is to assess the possibilities of phase-sensitive SPR techniques for (bio)chemical sensing in terms of sensitivity, detectability, dynamic range, immunity to noises and parasitic drifts.
The expected results are as follows:
1) Fundamental knowledge on phase and polarisation behaviour of a light wave reflected from an arbitrary SPR-supporting multi-layer system under wide variations of parameters;
2) Methodologies and instrument schemes to measure the response of the phase under SPR to a (bio)chemical surface interaction with ultra-high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, and immunity to noises and parasitic drifts;
3) Assessment of the possibilities of phase-sensitive SPR techniques as applied to the chosen sensing problems; the eventual sensor prototypes are expected to lower sensitivity thresholds by one-two orders of magnitudes in comparison with existing technical solutions.

The results of the project will be widely disseminated through publications in scientific and technical journals, presentations at international conferences, as well as the reports to be sent to INTAS.

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Koordynator

Ecole Centrale de Lyon
Wkład UE
Brak danych
Adres
36 Guy de Collongue
69131 Ecully
Francja

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