Chemical-enhanced thyroid cell detection using photonic crystal biosensors with phase-change materials

Abstract

This study proposes a one-dimensional defective photonic crystal (1D-DPC) biosensor based on the phase-change material Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ (GST) for label-free detection of thyroid nodules in the visible range. The structure is designed as [(Diamond/Silica)³ GDG (Diamond/Silica)³], where G represents GST layers and D is an air-cavity defect. This design effectively distinguishes between benign and malignant thyroid nodules. The main advantage of GST is its reversible phase transition between amorphous and crystalline states, which changes the material's refractive index and absorption coefficient. By placing two GST buffer layers around the defect, the biosensor's resonance can be actively tuned, leading to higher sensitivity and better spectral selectivity. Transmission spectra were calculated using the transfer matrix method (TMM) in MATLAB for both normal and oblique TE-polarized incidence. Performance metrics—including sensitivity (S), quality factor (Q), and figure of merit (FOM)—were evaluated for both GST phases. At normal incidence and 220 nm defect thickness in the crystalline state, the biosensor achieved a sensitivity of 267 nm RIU⁻¹ and a quality factor of 87.875, enabling clear differentiation between malignant and benign cases. The key novelty is comparing THz spectra of liquid and lyophilized plasma, where lyophilization enhances contrast and malignant-benign separation by reducing water masking effects. The results were compared with previous photonic crystal biosensors, showing that the GST-based design offers superior tunability and diagnostic accuracy due to its unique phase-change properties.