Resolution enhancement of a surface immersion microscope near the plasmon resonance

Resolution of a surface immersion microscope has been studied as a function of surface-plasmon-polariton frequency. Enhancement of resolution near the surface-plasmon resonance has been observed. This effect may potentially be used in direct imaging of biological samples in liquid ambient.     

Localized surface plasmon resonance of silicon compounds adsorbed on silver nanoparticles

A simple method to produce silver nanoparticles on a glass surface from silver nanolayer deposited by magnetron sputtering and thermal annealed is presented. Localized surface plasmon resonance of nanoparticles shows a red shift depending on the silver nanolayer thickness, the refractive index and the thickness of an ultra-thin silicon compound adsorbed on the surface. A highly enhanced Raman spectrum of the characteristic groups of a silicon compound adsorbed on the nanoparticles surface was obtained.     

Sensitivity enhancement based on application of multi-pass interferometry in phase-sensitive surface plasmon resonance biosensor

A novel design of multi-pass surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor with differential phase interrogation based on multi-pass interferometry is presented. This new configuration provides an intrinsic phase amplification effect of over twofold by placing the SPR sensor head in a signal arm of the interferometer so that the interrogating optical beam will traverse the sensor surface infinite number of times. Experimental interferometers based on the Michelson and Fabry–Perot configurations have been employed to experimentally verify this amplification effect when they were compared with Mach–Zehnder configuration, results obtained from salt–water mixtures, antibody–antigen, and protein–DNA binding reaction confirmed the expected phase measurement enhancement, thus leading to the possibility of direct detection of small sized bio-molecules using SPR.     

Sensitivity enhancement of graphene coated surface plasmon resonance biosensor

In this paper, a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance biosensor is presented using angular interrogation. Due to low sensitivity of conventional biosensor, graphene/two-dimensional transition metal are used in surface plasmon resonance biosensor to improve the sensitivity. Here, we propose a seven layer model of biosensor which shows by incorporating silicon layer in addition of transition metal dichalcogenides MoS₂ and graphene, the sensitivity of the proposed SPR biosensor can be greatly enhanced than the conventional gold film SPR sensors. It is observed that the highest sensitivity can be obtained by optimizing the structure with 8 nm thickness of silicon layer, one layer of MoS₂ and one layer of graphene. The highest sensitivity of our proposed sensor is 210°/RIU.     

Scanning electro-optic microscope based on surface plasmon resonance

An optical scanning probe microscope, based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in the attenuated total reflection geometry, is shown to successfully image the polarization structures in self-assembled monolayers of hemicyanine adsorbed on a gold surface. Application of an ac field to the tip gives rise to the linear electro-optic effect in the monolayer just below the tip and the local change in the refractive index of the monolayer was detected via the ac component of the reflected light intensity, in which SPR-based detection intensifies the ac component. Polarization structures in a monolayer can be clearly imaged by this technique.     

新型强度检测型表面等离子共振传感器的研究

针对角度检测型表面等离子共振传感器结构复杂,不易于实现在线测量的特点,基于表面等离子共振(SPR)原理,提出了采用双LED进行差分光强检测折射率变化的方法。设计了参考光路,可以消除光源波动带来的影响。理论分析及实验表明,这种方法比单LED光强检测方法的灵敏度提高了近1倍。由于没有使用角度检测装置及光谱仪,易于实现仪器的小型化。     

Influence of groove depth and surface profile on fluorescence enhancement by grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance

The fluorescence intensity of a sample placed on a metal grating pattern is enhanced due to excitation by the electric field of the grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (GC-SPR). The dependence of the enhancement on groove depth and surface profile was studied with the aim of improving the sensitivity of fluorescence detection. The enhancement was found to depend on the groove depth, with intensity most enhanced on grating substrate of about 20 nm depth, which produced an intensity about 30 times greater than that on a flat borosilicate glass substrate. Rigorous coupled wave analysis calculation showed that the shape of the groove influenced GC-SPR, suggesting that controlling not only the depth but also the shape of the grating surface profile can be an important factor in improving the sensitivity of detection by fluorescence microscopy.     

表面等离激元的聚焦与波导增强

近年来,表面等离激元学（plasmonics）已经形成一个新的学科热点.电子在金属与介质界面的集体振荡行为形成一种元激发——表面等离激元（surface plasomon polariton,SPP）.由于其具有特殊的耦合与传播性质,与SPP相关的器件设计与应用成为目前纳米光子学领域的国际前沿研究方向.文章介绍了利用微...     

Figure-of-merit enhancement of surface plasmon resonance sensors in the spectral interrogation

We show that adding a thin dielectric layer with high refractive index on top of the metallic layer in surface plasmon resonance sensors in the Kretschmann-Raether configuration in the spectral mode causes a redshift of the resonance wavelength, narrowing of the resonance dip, and an enhancement to the spectral sensitivity. Surprisingly, together with the sensitivity enhancement, the dip becomes much narrower and the figure of merit is considerably improved, particularly in the IR range.     

基于计算机软件的新型SPR传感器设计

为了改进SPR传感器灵敏度低、稳定性差、测量范围窄等问题,基于光的衰减全反射理论设计了一种SPR传感装置。利用FDTD计算机软件分析得到:设计的结构分子层和金属薄膜之间的界面磁场强度得到极大地提高,测量精度有了显著的改进;很大一部分倏逝场能量集中在表面等离子共振区,倏逝波的强度非常强。     

LED based fiber optic surface plasmon resonance sensor

Modeling of a miniaturized fiber optic sensor based on surface plasmon resonance utilizing a broad band diffuse source is presented. Attenuated total internal reflection with Kretschmann configuration is the basis of the theoretical model. For simulation both meridional and skew rays are considered. The performance of the sensor is evaluated in terms of sensitivity, detection accuracy and signal to noise ratio. Effects of the numerical aperture of the fiber, core diameter and length of the sensing region on the performance parameters of the sensor are studied. The results are obtained for gold and silver metallic layer on the core of the fiber. The theoretical results obtained are compared with SPR based fiber optic sensor utilizing focused beam on the end face of the fiber from a collimated source. The advantages of using broadband LED (diffuse source) source for launching light in the fiber are the miniaturization, compactness and low cost of the sensor.     

Quantum surface plasmon resonance system based on electromagnetically induced transparency

A scheme for a new kind of surface plasmon resonance system (SPR) is proposed. The system is composed of three layers: a prism, a thin metal film, and a hybrid dielectric consisting of EIT atoms and a background substance. It is found that due to the inherently quantum feature, the EIT-based SPR system exhibits some interesting quantum properties which are absent in ordinary SPR systems. This system may be used for detecting very small variations of quantum properties of matters, such as small shifts of atomic levels caused by external fields, with subwavelength spatial resolution.     

Sensitivity enhancement of surface plasmon resonance sensor using continuous film metallic gratings

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on continuous film metallic gratings is numerically investigated for enhance sensitivity. The results calculated by rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) present that interplays between localized surface plasmons and surface plasmons polaritons contribute to sensitivity enhancement. The sensitivity enhancement factor (SEF), which represents the influence of metallic grating, increased as the grating period decreased. In addition, several reflection dips can be achieved as the period of metallic grating increased. By double-dips method, the sensitivity SPR sensor based on continuous film grating-based is improved into 153.23°/RIU, which is more sensitive than conventional thin film-based SPR sensor in the same condition. The SPR sensor based on continuous film metallic gratings exhibits good linearity.     

金属表面等离体子振荡

深入浅出地分析了金属表面等离体子振荡形成的机理，利用拉普拉斯方程得到了半无限金属、金属薄膜和球状纳米金属颗粒的表面等离体子振荡频率。     

Measurement of small displacement based on surface plasmon resonance heterodyne interferometry

This paper proposes an optical method for measuring small displacements using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) heterodyne interferometry. A heterodyne light beam reflected by a mirror passes through a hemisphere glass and then enters into a surface plasmon resonance apparatus at the resonant angle. A small displacement of the mirror will introduce a phase-difference variation between p- and s-polarizations of the light emerging from the SPR apparatus. The phase-difference variation can be precisely measured with the heterodyne interferometric technique, and the associated displacement can be estimated. The feasibility of this method was verified by experiment, and the displacement measurement resolution of about 1.4 nm over a traveling range of 6 μm was achieved. Our method of measurement has the merits of both common-path interferometry and heterodyne interferometry.     

Contributions to a reliable hydrogen sensor based on surface plasmon surface resonance spectroscopy

Hydrogen is being seen as a potentially inexhaustible, clean power supply. Direct hydrogen production and storage techniques that would eliminate carbon by-products and compete in cost are accelerated in R&D due to the recent sharp price increase of crude oil. But hydrogen is also linked with certain risks of use, namely the danger of explosions if mixed with air due to the very low energy needed for ignition and the possibility to diminish the ozone layer by undetected leaks. To reduce those risks efficient, sensitive and very early warning systems are needed. This paper will contribute to this challenge in adopting the optical method of Surface-Plasmon-Resonance (SPR) Spectroscopy for a sensitive detection of hydrogen concentrations well below the lower explosion limit. The technique of SPR performed with fiberoptics would in principle allow a remote control without any electrical contacts in the potential explosion zone. A thin palladium metal layer has been studied as sensing element. A simulation programme to find an optimum sensor design lead to the conclusion that an Otto-configuration is more advantageous under intended “real world” measurement conditions than a Kretschmann configuration. This could be experimentally verified. The very small air gap in the Otto-configuration could be successfully replaced by a several hundred nm thick intermediate layer of MgF₂ or SiO₂ to ease the fabrication of hydrogen sensor-chips based on glass slide substrates. It could be demonstrated that by a separate detection of the TM- and TE-polarized light fractions the TE-polarized beam could be used as a reference signal, since the TE-part does not excite surface plasmons and thus is not influenced by the presence of hydrogen. Choosing the measured TM/TE intensity ratio as the analytical signal a sensor-chip made from a BK7 glass slide with a 425 nm thick intermediate layer of SiO₂ and a sensing layer of 50 nm Pd on top allowed a drift-free, reliable and reversible determination of hydrogen concentrations up to about 10 vol.% in dry or humid air with a detection limit of 0.04 vol.% with response times of around 2 min.     

High-resolution surface plasmon resonance sensor based on linewidth-optimized nanohole array transmittance

A high spectral resolution, 2D nanohole-array-based surface plasmon resonance sensor that operates at normal or near normal incidence--facilitating high spatial resolution imaging--is presented. The angular and spectral transmittance of the structure is modified from a Fano type to a pure Lorentzian line shape with a parallel and orthogonal polarizer-analyzer pair. This change leads to a linewidth narrowing that maximizes the sensor resolution, which we show to be of O(10(-5)) refractive index units (RIU). We estimate the potential of this system of O(10(-6)) RIU under optimal conditions.     

Fiber optic sensor based on surface plasmon resonance with nanoparticle films

This paper reports on a novel design of a fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on nanoparticle metal film. The performance of the proposed sensor in terms of its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sensitivity under different conditions related to the film with spherical gold nanoparticles embedded in a host material is theoretically analyzed. In particular, the effect of the parameters such as gold particle size, film thickness, and refractive index of host material is studied and the possible explanation, whenever required, is given. The numerical results presented in this paper leads to fulfill the requirement of significant optimization of the important design parameters to achieve a high SNR and sensitivity of a fiber optic SPR sensor with nanoparticle films.