System and method for nano-opto-mechanical-fluidic sensing of particles
A system and method includes nano opto-mechanical-fluidic resonators (nano-resonators), e.g., for identification of particles, e.g., single viruses and/or cells.
1. A system comprising:
a resonator, the resonator comprising a beam and a nanochannel passing through the beam, the resonator further comprising a photonic crystal positioned in the beam and adjacent the nanochannel, where the nanochannel contains a liquid, and where the liquid contains particles to be sensed,
where the photonic crystal confines light in a photonic mode, the beam confines sound in a mechanical mode, and motion within the mechanical mode modifies the photonic mode;
an optical fiber coupled adjacently to the resonator, the optical fiber to guide a light wave past the resonator, and
a detector positioned at an output of the optical fiber, where the detector detects changes in the light wave to detect a mechanical property of the particles based on the confined sound and a position of the particles based on the confined light.
2. The system of claim 1 , where the detection by the detector is label free.
3. The system of claim 1 , where the detector simultaneously detects a size and mass of the particles.
4. The system of claim 1 , where the particles comprise at least one of viruses, large molecules, DNA and fragments from biological objects.
5. The system of claim 1 , where the nanochannel comprises half a width of the beam and the photonic crystal comprises half a width of the beam.
6. The system of claim 1 , further including a mixture to suspend the particles.
7. The system of claim 1 , where the particles comprise cells.
8. The system of claim 1 , where the particles comprise at least one of micro-particles and nanoparticles.
9. The system of claim 1 , where the position sensing reduces a uncertainty from the mechanical property sensing.
10. The system of claim 1 , where the optical fiber is tapered.
11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising wavelength division multiplexers positioned on ends of the optical fiber.
12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a light source connected with one end of the optical fiber and the detector coupled with another end of the optical fiber.
13. The system of claim 12 , where the light source comprises a laser.
14. The system of claim 1 , where the photonic crystal comprises a plurality of holes which convey where the particle is located within the nanochannel.