Detection of Optically Active Molecules by Means of Integrated Optical Devices

Optical active material can turn the polarisation direction of a light beam. The turning strength depends on the concentration, the interaction length between the light and the material as well as its optical activity, which shows a dispersion behaviour. In this current project integrated optical devices will be used to measure the optical activity. The polarisation direction defined by the propagating modes, TE or TM modes, will be used to measure the optical activity of molecules located within the guided field.

Coupling a pure TE mode into the waveguide and placing optically active molecules within the field of the propagating wave will yield a mixed mode structure of both TE and TM contributions after an appropriate propagation length.