Design and optimization of microring resonators in biochemical sensing applications

Microring resonators can be exploited for biochemical sensing applications. To gain a better understanding of the design and optimization of microring sensors, the authors analytically derive the detection limit and the sensitivity. Other important parameters, including the ON-OFF contrast ratio and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), are also considered. In this paper, the combination of two sensing mechanisms and two sensing schemes are analyzed. These calculations provide a guideline for determining the microring geometry to satisfy the desired sensing requirements. In addition, the results can provide insights on how to enhance the sensitivity and lower the detection limit.