IIT Kharagpur Turns Smartphone Cameras into Sensitive Detectors

IIT Kharagpur researchers develop a photonic crystal-based sensor that enables smartphone cameras to detect extremely small substances at the attomolar level, with potential applications in portable medical diagnostics and other fields.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) develop a highly sensitive sensor technology that enables ordinary smartphone cameras to detect extremely small substances that remain invisible to the naked eye. The innovation is developed in collaboration with scientists from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

The new technology uses a photonic crystal-based platform to significantly strengthen weak light signals, allowing smartphone cameras to detect substances at the attomolar level. According to IIT Kharagpur, the platform increases the interaction between light and matter by nearly 1,300 times, enabling the detection of quantities that conventional smartphone cameras cannot identify.

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The technology works by enhancing weak optical signals generated by reporter molecules such as rhodamine. These amplified signals can then be captured using a commonly available smartphone camera, potentially reducing dependence on expensive and highly sensitive detection equipment.

At the core of the system is a photonic crystal comprising a regular arrangement of extremely small structures. These structures control the movement of light and create optical “hot spots”, where light is concentrated into a tiny area. This concentration increases the interaction between light and matter and strengthens signals that would otherwise remain too weak to detect.

Researchers further engineer the photonic crystals using nanoparticles of gold, titania and graphene oxide. The work brings together the photonic structure expertise of Professor Shivakiran Bhaktha and his team at IIT Kharagpur with the bionanophotonics research led by Professor Brian T Cunningham and his team at UIUC.

The researchers state that integrating the technology with smartphones can support the development of compact and portable detection devices. The approach has potential applications in medical testing, particularly in settings where rapid and highly sensitive detection is required.

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The platform can also be combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, potentially expanding its applications in healthcare diagnostics and other fields that require the detection of extremely small quantities of substances.

The research is published in the journal Advanced Optical Materials and is also featured on the journal's cover. IIT Kharagpur states that the technology can contribute to the development of affordable and portable diagnostic solutions for both urban and rural settings.