Interferometric detection of mode splitting for whispering gallery mode biosensors

Sensors based on whispering gallery mode resonators can detect single nanoparticles and even single molecules. Particles attaching to the resonator induce a doublet in the transmission spectrum which provides a self-referenced detection signal. However, in practice this spectral feature is often obscured by the width of the resonance line which hides the doublet structure. This happens particularly in liquid environments that reduce the effective Q factor of the resonator. In this paper we demonstrate an interferometric setup that allows the direct detection of the hidden doublet and thus provides a pathway for developing practical sensor applications. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3494530]