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Integrated photonic biosensors
University microcredential
Language: English
From October 20, 2025 to October 31, 2025
3 ECTS - 30 hours
Mode: Online and hybrid
This course begins with an introduction to photonic biosensing and evanescent field photonic biosensors, focusing on penetration depth and sensor sensitivity to surface perturbations through variations in the effective index of the guide. It emphasizes interferometric architectures with coherent sensing to minimize noise and uncertainty, preventing sensitivity loss in traditional sensors. Key parameters affecting system performance and detection limits are also covered.
The course discusses the challenges of optical power transfer between disposable cartridges and instruments without physical contact, reviewing error-tolerant input-output access to the chip. A module explores the relationship between mass variations on the sensor surface and refractive index changes, including protein concentration variations.
Next, the course introduces the Langmuir model for molecular bio-recognition, bioreceptors, and the functionalization process to prepare sensor surfaces. Finally, it covers the fundamentals of integrated photonic devices for designing and simulating integrated optical biosensing systems, equipping students with the necessary skills for practical application.
Lecturers
Ana Sánchez Ramírez
PhD Student
Timeline
The course will start on October 20, 2025 and will end on October 31, 2025. The first week will be online lessons about concept and fundamentals, while the second week will focus mostly on laboratory exercises and simulations that can be made either on-site or online (hybrid mode).
The courses will be funded for up to 10 students who meet the established academic requirements thanks to the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia 
and the NextGeneration EU 
. Deadlines will be opened to apply for these scholarships. A brief interview or exam may be conducted to gain a better understanding
of the applicant's background and motivations. The registration fee for the rest of the students will be 450 €.
Students who enroll in any microcredential must hold a bachelor’s degree in one of the following areas:
- Engineering (in any of its specialties).
- Physics.
- Chemistry.
- Mathematics.
In exceptional cases, students who are currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in one of the aforementioned fields and still need to complete 30 ECTS (excluding the final degree project and external internships) may be admitted.
In the specific case of this course, given its applied nature within the field of integrated photonics, it is recommended, although not mandatory, to have completed the microcredentials Optical waveguides and material platforms for photonic integrated circuits and Passive building blocks for photonic integrated circuits.
Students who complete all the microcredentials (not necessarily in the same courses edition) will receive the Specialization Diploma in Integrated Photonics from the University of Málaga.
- Introduction to photonic biosensing.
- Fundamentals of dielectric waveguides and evanescent sensing.
- Interrogation architectures.
- On-chip access: input-output interface.
- Mass-to-refractive index mapping and biosensing sensitivities to bulk analyte concentrations and surface mass densities.
- Kinetic model of the biorecognition process.
- Bioreceptors and surface functionalization.
- Integrated optical devices for photonic biosensing.
The professional software ANSYS ACADEMIC LUMERICAL MULTIPHYSICS will be available for students to perform the laboratory exercises proposed in the different microcredentials from their own computers. This software is widely used by companies in the sector and research centers for modeling, simulation, and design of integrated optical devices.