A novel technique based on Bloch surface waves sustained by one-dimensional photonic crystals to probe mass transport in a microfluidic channel
We report on the use of an optical sensing platform based on Bloch surface waves sustained by one-dimensional photonic crystals as a novel optical tool to probe in real time the fluid flow at a boundarywall of a microfluidic channel under dynamic conditions. Understanding how fluid flow interacts withwall surfaces is crucial for a broad range of biological processes and engineering applications, such as sur-face wave biosensing. The proposed platform provides nanometric resolution with respect to the distancefrom the boundary wall sensor’s surface.