Optical sensing with critically coupled planar waveguide with optional integration of layered two-dimensional materials

1. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein said functional layer is a two-dimensional material layer, and

further comprising a voltage source electrically connected to said two-dimensional material layer for providing electrical gating to said two-dimensional material layer.

2. The optical sensing system of claim 1 , wherein said functional layer is responsive to at least one environmental physical, mechanical, chemical, or biological parameter to be detected.

3. The optical sensing system according to claim 1 , wherein said functional layer is a graphene layer.

4. The optical sensing system according to claim 1 , wherein said optical detector is a point optical detector or a one-dimensional or two-dimensional array detector.

5. The optical sensing system according to claim 1 , wherein said optical sensing system further comprises a coupling tool,

wherein said coupling tool optically couples said planar optical waveguide and said coupling layer to said optical source and said optical detector.

6. The optical sensing system according to claim 1 , wherein said coupling layer comprises SiO 2 .

7. The optical sensing system according to claim 1 , wherein said functional layer is at least two two-dimensional material layers stacked on top of each other.

8. The optical sensing system according to claim 1 , wherein said planar optical waveguide comprises a layer of Ta 2 O 5 .

9. The optical sensing system of claim 8 , wherein said layer of Ta 2 O 5 has a thickness of about 150 nm.

10. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein a surface of said functional layer that is opposite to said surface that is integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide is in contact with a solution,

and wherein said optical sensing system provides two-dimensional time-resolved imaging of an electric field distribution in said solution.

11. The optical sensing system of claim 10 , wherein said optical sensing system has a voltage sensitivity of at least 15 mV.

12. The optical sensing system of claim 10 , wherein said optical sensing system has a spatial resolution of at least 16 μm.

13. The optical sensing system of claim 10 , wherein said optical sensing system has a spatial resolution of at least 10 μm.

14. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein said optical detector is an imaging detector to detect light from identifiable locations across a portion of a surface of said planar optical waveguide.

15. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein said optical detector is configured to detect an electric field or voltage change proximal to said functional layer based on said received portion of light.

16. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein said optical sensing system further comprises a coupling tool,

wherein said coupling tool optically couples said planar optical waveguide and said coupling layer to said optical source and said optical detector, and

wherein said coupling tool is a prism or a grating.

17. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein said functional layer has a surface area of at least 1 cm 2 .

18. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

wherein said optical source is configured to illuminate said at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide with a collimated optical beam.

19. An optical sensing system, comprising:

a planar optical waveguide having a first surface for detection and a second surface for coupling light;

a functional layer integral with said first surface of said planar optical waveguide;

a coupling layer in contact with said second surface of said planar optical waveguide, said coupling layer having a lower refractive index than said planar optical waveguide;

an optical source arranged to illuminate at least a portion of said second surface of said planar optical waveguide through said coupling layer with substantially critical optical coupling; and

an optical detector arranged to receive a portion of light from said optical source after being reflected from said first surface of said planar optical waveguide and passing through said coupling layer,

further comprising a translational stage on which said planar optical waveguide, said functional layer, and said coupling layer are mounted,

wherein said optical detector is a one-dimensional detector.