Recent developments in optical transducers for chemical or biochemical applications

A variety of optical transducers is presented in the literature based on just a few given optical principles. Based on principles like micro-refractometry and -reflectivity, a classification is approached, especially for sensors used in bioanalytics. Two methods are discussed in detail, which are favoured in the group known as integrated optical Mach-Zehnder interferometers and reflectometric interference spectroscopy (RIfS). Recent applications as chemical sensors and biochemical probes in the fields of hydrocarbon monitoring and immunoreactions are demonstrated. Perspectives in routine interaction analysis, microstructuring of devices, direct detection of low-molecular-weight ligands, and parallel high-throughput screening are discussed.