Optical Metasurface Research Lab · Copenhagen

We engineer light to detect what medicine cannot yet see.

Aralyse is a photonics research group developing advanced optical metasurface sensors for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. We design, fabricate, and validate label-free sensor platforms capable of femtomolar detection — without fluorescent tags, without complex sample preparation.

Sensor R&D

Metasurface Biosensors

LSPR, Fano, and quasi-BIC platforms for medical biomarker and environmental contaminant detection.

Full Pipeline

End-to-End Fabrication

PVD, RIE, maskless lithography, surface functionalisation, and optical characterisation — all in-house.

fM

Detection Sensitivity

λ<1nm

Spectral Resolution

3

Sensing Domains

ppb

Gas Detection Limit

Who We Are

A Photonics Research Group Engineering Sensors at the Limits of Detection

Aralyse is an optical metasurface research group based in Copenhagen. We design, fabricate, and validate label-free sensor platforms for medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring — building the complete pipeline from computational design through to experimentally confirmed detection limits.

Our research centres on two-dimensional nanostructure arrays — plasmonic and dielectric meta-atoms engineered to support localised surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), Fano resonances, and quasi-bound states in the continuum (quasi-BIC). These resonant modes concentrate the electromagnetic field into sub-wavelength volumes, generating near-field enhancements that transduce molecular binding events into measurable optical signals without fluorescent labels or enzymatic amplification.

We operate the full fabrication and characterisation pipeline in-house: FDTD and RCWA simulation to define unit-cell geometry; PVD deposition of Au, Ag, Al, and dielectric layers; maskless lithography and RIE to pattern structures at target dimensions; surface functionalisation via SAM chemistry and aptamer conjugation; and spectroscopic characterisation to confirm resonance position, Q-factor, and figure of merit against design targets.

Sensor validation is performed against chromatographically quantified analyte standards, giving traceable, concentration-calibrated limits of detection rather than estimated figures. Our target applications are medical biomarker sensing — proteins, circulating tumour DNA, exosomes — and environmental contaminant detection in water and air, including heavy metals, VOCs, and trace gases at ppb concentrations.

Computational Design

Full-wave FDTD and RCWA simulation to engineer unit-cell geometry — shape, pitch, and height — placing resonances precisely at target wavelengths for each analyte class

Nanofabrication

PVD deposition of metallic and dielectric layers, maskless lithography, RIE patterning, and spin coating — all in-house, enabling design-to-chip iteration in days

Surface Functionalisation

Thiol-based SAM deposition and aptamer conjugation for analyte-specific recognition, verified by fluorescence spectrophotometry before every sensor test

Sensor Validation

Resonance shift measured against chromatographically quantified analyte standards — producing traceable, calibrated limits of detection across medical and environmental target analytes

Research & Development

Engineering Light at the Nanoscale

Aralyse R&D advances the design and fabrication of optical metasurfaces — engineered two-dimensional nanostructures that manipulate light with sub-wavelength precision. Our sensors translate this control into measurable signals for three high-impact domains.

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GMR Biosensor
Designer

A rigorous in-browser electromagnetic solver for guided-mode-resonance and high-contrast grating biosensors. Enter geometry parameters and instantly obtain resonance wavelength, Q-factor, sensitivity, and detection limit — validated against RCWA to 1×10⁻⁴. No COMSOL. No Python. No install.

<1 s Full solve

10⁻⁴ RCWA match

0 Dependencies

∞ Iterations

Modal electromagnetics Fano Q-extraction Sensitivity curve Detection limit TE / TM Fabrication spread Finite beam

Open Designer

SOLVER OUTPUT PREVIEW

λ resonance 850.975 nm

Q radiative 965

Q realistic 328

Sensitivity 85 nm/RIU

Det. limit 3.1×10⁻⁴ RIU

GRATING CROSS-SECTION · TRUE SCALE

λ<1 nm

Spectral resolution target

Biomolecule detection limit

Sensing application domains

LSPR

Core resonance mechanism

Application Domains

Where Our Sensors Make a Difference

Biomedical Sensing

Plasmonic metasurfaces detecting disease biomarkers — proteins, nucleic acids, exosomes — at femtomolar concentrations without fluorescent labels. Target applications include early-stage cancer screening, infectious disease diagnostics, and point-of-care testing.

LSPR biosensing label-free cancer biomarkers point-of-care

Environmental Monitoring

Miniaturised metasurface chips integrated into field-deployable platforms detect heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and microplastics in water and soil. Multiplexed arrays enable simultaneous multi-analyte profiling for regulatory compliance monitoring.

heavy metals water quality multiplexed arrays field-deployable

Gas Sensing

Mid-infrared metasurfaces with engineered vibrational resonances achieve ppb-level detection of trace gases — VOCs, CO₂, NOₓ, NH₃ — via surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRA). Chip-scale form factor suits industrial safety monitors, breath analysis, and indoor air quality systems.

mid-IR metasurfaces SEIRA VOC detection breath analysis

Technology Platform

From Simulation to Fabricated Sensor

Computational Design

Full-wave FDTD and RCWA simulations guide unit-cell geometry — shape, pitch, height — to place resonances precisely where the target analyte absorbs or scatters.

Maskless Nanofabrication

Tuo Tuo UV and 3D lithography platforms allow rapid design iteration without physical masks, shortening design-to-chip cycles from weeks to days.

Surface Functionalisation

Thiol-based SAMs and aptamer chemistry provide analyte specificity while maintaining electromagnetic coupling between the recognition layer and the metasurface near-field.

Optical Characterisation

3D confocal and white-light interferometry microscopes quantify surface quality; spectroscopic ellipsometry and FTIR confirm resonance positions against design targets.

Sensor Integration & Validation

Chips are packaged into microfluidic or gas-cell housings and benchmarked against clinical or regulatory reference standards before transfer to application partners.

Key Design Parameters

Spectral rangeVis – mid-IR (400–10 000 nm)

Unit-cell period100 nm – 5 µm

MaterialsAu, Ag, Al, TiN, Si, Ge

Resonance typeLSPR, Mie, Fano, quasi-BIC

Figure of merit>10 RIU⁻¹ (target)

Biomedical LODfM – pM range

Gas LODppb (SEIRA mode)

SubstrateGlass, Si, CaF₂, diamond

Fab platformTuo Tuo maskless lithography

Plasmonic metasurfaces Dielectric resonators Fano resonances Quasi-BIC modes SEIRA spectroscopy Near-field enhancement Microfluidic integration

Featured Presentation

Metamaterial Surfaces:
Engineering Light Beyond Nature

A guided tour through nanoscale optics — from the iridescent wing of a butterfly to femtomolar cancer biosensors. 18 slides covering meta-atoms, generalized Snell's law, flat metalenses, holograms, and the clinical case for metasurface diagnostics.

18 slides Flat optics Cancer biosensors Structural colour

View Presentation

Partner in Sensing Innovation

We welcome collaboration with academic groups, clinical partners, and industry on joint development, custom sensor design, and technology transfer. If your application demands ultra-sensitive, label-free detection, let's explore how optical metasurfaces can solve it.

Get in Touch Email the Team

Our Facilities

The Complete Metasurface Development Pipeline

Every instrument in our facility occupies a specific, non-redundant role in the sensor development workflow — from nanostructure design through to clinically validated detection limits.

Pattern & Deposit

Tuo Tuo Maskless Lithography

Writes sub-wavelength nanostructure patterns on resist — no physical mask needed

Solaris MultiChamber PVD

Deposits Au, Ag, Al, TiO₂, SiO₂ thin films at controlled thickness for plasmonic and dielectric layers

Spin Coater

Applies photoresist and functional layers with nm-level uniformity across the substrate

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)

Plasma-etches exposed areas to target geometry — defines pillar height, sidewall angle, and period

Verify Structure

Tuo Tuo 3D Microscope

White-light interferometry confirms pillar height, period uniformity, and sidewall quality post-etch

Spectrophotometers (Thin Film)

Measures deposited film thickness and spectral transmission in-line after each deposition step

Optical Spectrum Analyser

Resolves resonance wavelength, linewidth, and Q-factor — the primary figure of merit of the fabricated metasurface

Functionalise Surface

Pure Water System (Type 1)

Provides contamination-free water for buffer preparation — ionic impurities shift the refractive index baseline and corrupt the signal

Nitrogen Generator

Inert atmosphere prevents Au/Ag oxidation during SAM deposition and aptamer conjugation steps

Surface Functionalisation Setup

SAM deposition and aptamer conjugation — covalently attaches recognition molecules to the nanostructure surface

Fluorescence Spectrophotometer

Quantifies SAM coverage and aptamer binding efficiency — confirms the recognition layer is complete before sensor testing

Prepare & Validate

Centrifuges

Isolates exosomes, nanoparticles, and cell fractions from biological matrices before sensor challenge

HPLC & GC Systems

Quantifies exact analyte concentration in the challenge solution — mandatory for a traceable, calibrated limit of detection

UV-Vis Spectrophotometer

Confirms resonance shift Δλ upon analyte binding — the primary transduction signal of the LSPR sensor

Mechanics Station (CNC / 3D Print)

Rapid-prototypes microfluidic flow cells and sensor housings for standardised sample delivery to the chip surface

Fabrication Characterisation Functionalisation Sample Prep & Validation

Analytical Instruments

Spectroscopy, separation science & sample preparation

Spectrophotometers

UV-Vis absorbance measurement for optical characterisation of solutions and thin films

Fluorescence Spectrophotometers

Quantitative fluorescence analysis for bioassay development and sensor validation

Optical Spectrum Analyzer

Broadband spectral analysis for resonance mapping and metasurface performance evaluation

Centrifuges

Sample preparation, nanoparticle separation and bioassay processing

Advanced Pure Water Production

Type 1 ultrapure water system for contamination-free reagent preparation

Nitrogen Generator

On-site N₂ supply for inert atmosphere sample handling and instrument support

HPLC & GC Systems

High-performance liquid and gas chromatography for analyte quantification and purity analysis

Thin Film Coating

PVD deposition, lithography & surface engineering

Solaris MultiChamber PVD

Physical vapour deposition of dielectric and metallic thin films (Au, Ag, Al, TiO₂, SiO₂) for metasurface fabrication

Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)

Plasma-based dry etching for precise nanostructure patterning with sub-micron resolution

Spin Coating

Uniform photoresist and functional layer deposition for lithography and sensor surface preparation

Spectrophotometers

In-line optical measurement of deposited film thickness and spectral response

Advanced Surface Functionalisation & Evaluation

SAM deposition, aptamer conjugation and binding characterisation for biosensor development

Mechanics Station

CNC machining, laser engraving and 3D printing for rapid prototyping of housings, fixtures and microfluidic components

We engineer light to detect what medicine cannot yet see.

Metasurface Biosensors

End-to-End Fabrication

fM

λ<1nm

3

ppb

A Photonics Research Group Engineering Sensors at the Limits of Detection

Computational Design

Nanofabrication

Surface Functionalisation

Sensor Validation

Engineering Light at the Nanoscale

GMR Biosensor
Designer

Where Our Sensors Make a Difference

Biomedical Sensing

Environmental Monitoring

Gas Sensing

From Simulation to Fabricated Sensor

Computational Design

Maskless Nanofabrication

Surface Functionalisation

Optical Characterisation

Sensor Integration & Validation

Key Design Parameters

Metamaterial Surfaces:
Engineering Light Beyond Nature

Partner in Sensing Innovation

The Complete Metasurface Development Pipeline

Analytical Instruments

Thin Film Coating

Let's Discuss Your Needs

Sales Inquiries

Phone

Location

We engineer light to detect what medicine cannot yet see.

Metasurface Biosensors

End-to-End Fabrication

fM

λ<1nm

3

ppb

A Photonics Research Group Engineering Sensors at the Limits of Detection

Computational Design

Nanofabrication

Surface Functionalisation

Sensor Validation

Engineering Light at the Nanoscale

GMR BiosensorDesigner

Where Our Sensors Make a Difference

Biomedical Sensing

Environmental Monitoring

Gas Sensing

From Simulation to Fabricated Sensor

Computational Design

Maskless Nanofabrication

Surface Functionalisation

Optical Characterisation

Sensor Integration & Validation

Key Design Parameters

Metamaterial Surfaces:Engineering Light Beyond Nature

Partner in Sensing Innovation

The Complete Metasurface Development Pipeline

Analytical Instruments

Thin Film Coating

Let's Discuss Your Needs

Sales Inquiries

Phone

Location

GMR Biosensor
Designer

Metamaterial Surfaces:
Engineering Light Beyond Nature