CaF2/TiO2 nanophotonic biosensor based on a one-dimensional photonic crystal for Chikungunya virus detection

An optical sensor based on a defective photonic crystal is proposed to identify the Chikungunya virus in blood components, including plasma, platelets, red blood cells (RBCs), and uric acid. Under healthy conditions, each blood component has a unique refractive index; this value is altered if the person is infected with the Chikungunya virus. The infected blood sample results in a deviation in the refractive index of the sample as compared to a normal sample due to the presence of the infection in the human blood. With the help of our suggested structure, this alteration can be detected, and the normal cell can be distinguished from the infected one. To simulate the results, the transfer matrix method (TMM) is applied. The sensitivity of the suggested structures loaded separately with the sample containing plasma, platelets, red blood cells, and uric acid is found to be 1411, 1352, 1335, and 795 nm/RIU, respectively. These results are enough to support our claim that the present design can be used as an ultra-sensitive nanophotonic biosensor for the detection of the Chikungunya virus. (c) 2024 Optica Publishing Group. All rights, including for text and data mining (TDM), Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, and similar technologies, are reserved.