High sensitivity fibre laser based refractive index sensors for biosensing applications

Optical sensing of refractive index is of interest for direct detection of biomolecules; however very high sensitivity measurements are required to decrease the limit of detection towards single molecule detection. Fibre lasers can achieve very narrow lasing linewidths kHz to 10’s kHz and are of interest for developing very high performance, compact sensors by measuring small changes in the laser frequency due to external stimulus. Fibre lasers based on distributed feedback structures have been demonstrated as one of the highest sensitivity fibre strain sensors for their given length.

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship to perform research investigating the potential of fibre lasers for high sensitivity measurement of refractive index with a focus on potential biosensing applications. This programme aims to investigate the potential of optical sensors based on single frequency fibre lasers and to develop novel sensors based on the interaction of the laser mode and analyte under test.

The research will be carried out in the Centre for Microsystems and Photonics within the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering of the University of Strathclyde and will be co-supervised by Dr. Gordon Flockhart and Prof. Deepak Uttamchandani. The studentship covers University fees plus a tax-free stipend for 3.5 years (stipend level of c. £13,569 in 2010/11).

Further Information
For informal enquiries or to apply for the studentship please contact Dr. Gordon Flockhart ([Email Address Removed]). To apply, please send your CV and a covering letter highlighting your interests and suitability for the project.