High-refractive-index waveguide platforms for chemical and biosensing

The field of chemical and biosensors based on waveguide technology is rapidly growing, with new developments focusing on higher sensitivity and stability. This key demand is prompting researchers and developers to explore new materials for waveguide sensor systems, with especially high-refractive-index materials as promising components. This chapter gives an overview of different sensor platforms implementing high-refractive-index waveguide materials, with applications in both research and commercial sensor systems. This is accompanied by a theoretical background of waveguide-sensing principles, especially focusing on the key steps to high sensor sensitivities.