24 Feb 2026
Light-based device uses quantum dots to spot ultra-low biomarker levels.
A project at China’s Shenzhen University has developed a new sensing platform for the detection of biomakers in blood.
Described in Optica, the device “paves the way for next-generation diagnostic platforms,” according to the researchers.
Detecting biomolecules at ultralow concentrations remains a fundamental challenge in optical biosensing because of the weak light-matter interactions governing signal generation, noted the Shenzhen team in its paper.
One answer lies in nonlinear optics, which can enhance the faint optical responses through second-harmonic generation (SHG) and other complex behaviors occurring at nanostructured surfaces.
Quantum dots made from CdTe/ZnS are attractive tools for this purpose, potentially able…