Doctoral Researchers

Supervisors: Artur Erbe, Larysa Baraban, Andreas Fery

Early diagnosis of diseases is of utmost importance. For example, cancer patients have drastically worse outcomes when diagnosed at later stages. Furthermore, certain biomarkers require very sensitive devices to detect their ultra-low concentrations. Field Effect Transistor (FET)-based biosensors not only provide detection of ultra-low concentrations of analytes along with fast response, but furthermore add the possibility for miniaturization, thereby leading to portability.

We investigate the introduction of bio-functionalized plasmonic nanoparticles to FET-based sensors and explore the possibility of enhancing the signals and/or sensitivity of these devices. Once illuminated by light, excited plasmons contribute to the modification of the surface potential at the FET's channel and to the modulation of the conductance of the sensor via optical gating. We expect this phenomenon to enhance the signals obtained from a binding event.