review · Sensors
Topological photonic sensors combine topological protection with advanced light confinement mechanisms, including topological states, quasi-bound states in the continuum, and Tamm plasmon polaritons. These optical devices deliver high sensitivity and high quality-factor resonances, enabling precise measurement capabilities across multiple operational domains. Various sensor designs have been developed for refractive index sensing, biosensing, gas detection, and thermal monitoring. Despite their high performance, current implementations encounter practical hurdles, such as maintaining ultrahigh quality-factor operation in physical devices, managing design complexity, and addressing constraints in multiparameter detection. To tackle these performance barriers, several physics-driven solutions are emerging. These include the incorporation of Weyl semimetals, non-Hermitian photonic systems, and graphene-based heterostructures, which together support more robust architectures for ultra-sensitive sensing across industrial, environmental, and medical diagnostics.
Accurate detection of minute physical and biological changes is critical for healthcare and environmental safety. Topological photonic sensors provide ultra-sensitive optical detection by protecting light signals from disturbances. Overcoming current manufacturing and operational complexities could lead to far more reliable diagnostic devices and precision monitors for everyday clinical and industrial settings.
The technology shows potential for industrial sensing, biomedical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring. Target users include diagnostic equipment manufacturers and environmental testing providers. Because this work reviews design architectures, practical barriers, and emerging material integrations, the technology remains in the early-stage research phase and requires further development to transition into deployable commercial instruments.
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Topological photonic sensors have emerged as a breakthrough in modern optical sensing by integrating topological protection and light confinement mechanisms such as topological states, quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BICs), and Tamm plasmon polaritons (TPPs). These devices exhibit exceptional sensitivity and high-<i>Q</i> resonances, making them ideal for high-precision environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and industrial sensing applications. This review explores the foundational physics and diverse sensor architectures, from refractive index sensors and biosensors to gas and thermal sensors, emphasizing their working principles and performance metrics. We further examine the challenges of achieving ultrahigh-<i>Q</i> operation in practical devices, limitations in multiparameter sensing, and design complexity. We propose physics-driven solutions to overcome these barriers, such as integrating Weyl semimetals, graphene-based heterostructures, and non-Hermitian photonic systems. This comparative study highlights the transformative impact of topological photonic sensors in achieving ultra-sensitive detection across multiple fields.
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DOI: 10.3390/s25051455
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