Application of an Optical Interference Mirror Slide Based on a Fluorescence Enhancement to Biosensors

Abstract

An optical interference mirror slide composed of a metal and a dielectric thin layer can enhance the fluorescence from fluorophore placed on the top the slide. By more than 10-fold enhancement can be achieved with an optimal dielectric thickness of the slide. This enhancement is considered to be primarily due to double interference of the excitation light and the fluorescence emission in the dielectric layer. In this report, relationship between the fluorescence enhancement and the dielectric layer thickness obtained with four kinds of fluorophores was explained. Moreover, applications of the slide to the detection of protein and DNA were described.