Sensitive label-free and compact biosensor based on concentric silicon-on-insulator microring resonators

We propose an ultracompact parallel label-free biosensor based on concentric silicon-on-insulator microring resonators. Our numerical studies show that the proposed biosensor offers higher sensitivity and a larger detection area than conventional single-ring-based sensors. We analyze the detection sensitivity of the DNA hybridization by immobilizing the probe on top of the double concentric ring resonators and in the ring-ring air gap. For a concentric double-ring system with an area of 27: 646 mu m(2), the bulk detection sensitivity is 683 nm RIU-1. The sensitive uniformity of the system related to the optical field distribution is also studied. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America