Surface plasmon resonance sensors based on Ag-metalized nanolayer in microstructured optical fibers

Surface plasmon resonance sensors based on Ag-metalized nanolayer in microstructured optical fibers are theoretically analyzed by using finite element method (FEM). In our simulations we use Drude-Lorentz model to describe the metal dielectric constant. The numerical results show that the sensitivity of Ag-metalized SPR sensor could reach 1167 nm/RIU and corresponding resolution is 8.57×10⁻⁵ RIU. Compared to conventional Au-metalized SPR sensors the performance of our device is obviously better.     

Numerical and experimental investigation of temperature effects on the surface plasmon resonance sensor

The effects of temperature on a surface plasmon studied experimentally and theoretically. SPR resonance （SPR） sensor in Kretschmann configuration are experiments are carried out over a temperature range of 278- 313 K in steps of 5 K. A detailed theoretical model is provided to analyze the variation of performance with varying temperature of the sensing environment. The temperature dependence of the properties of the metal, dielectric, and analyte are studied, respectively. The numerical results indicate that the predictions of the theoretical model are well consistent with the experiment data.     

Spectral modulation of ultra-broadband femtosecond laser pulses based on surface plasmon resonance

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for spectral modulation of the femtosecond laser pulses with 110 nm ultra-broad bandwidth is demonstrated on the basis of the development of ultrashort pulse laser sources which supports good spatial resolution and high peak intensity. Employing the femtosecond surface plasmon polariton pulses launched by a Kretschmann configuration, whose reflectivity curve has the characteristic of the ultra-broad bandwidth, we observe a frequency-dependent loss with greater attenuation at the peak of the spectrum profile than in the wings, which is very useful for adequate spectral modulation. The SPR for the spectral modulation is investigated in theoretical and experimental aspects. The arbitrary spectral modulation of the femtosecond laser pulses can be fulfilled by controlling and optimizing the SPR of the gold film. The experimental result agrees well with the calculation.     

基于辅助电介质层的棱镜表面等离子体共振效应研究

研究了一种基于棱镜基底-辅助电介质层-金膜-待测介质四层结构的表面等离子体共振(surface plasmon resonance,SPR)效应激励模型.采用薄膜光学与波导理论,探索了由辅助电介质层与金膜复合而成共振薄膜对SPR效应的激励机理与调制特性.借助时域有限差分方法,数值模拟得到辅助电介质层属性与共振能量传输特性关系.在此基础上,构建了波长调制型棱镜辅助电介质层结构SPR激励系统.研究结果表明,当待测介质折射率相同时,相较基于棱镜基底-金膜-待测介质三层结构的Kretschmann激励模型,辅助电介质层激励模型共振光谱整体向长波方向偏移且半波宽度出现显著展宽效应.而当待测介质折射率增大时,辅助电介质层型激励模型的共振光谱不仅会向长波方向偏移,而且折射率响应灵敏度比棱镜Kretschmann三层激励模型高出75%.因此该模型能够为诸如高灵敏度检测、新型光学滤波与调制器件设计等领域的研究应用提供理论与实践储备.     

低反射光学功能涂层材料的组成与反射特性研究

从光与涂层的作用机理出发,建立了涂层对特定波长光的反射率模型,系统分析了涂层中颜料、基料用量对涂层反射率的影响,并且对理论模型进行了实验验证,理论模拟曲线与实验规律相符。该模型可以为低反射率光学功能涂层的设计和制备提供理论上的指导。     

Direct determination of the refractive index and thickness of a biolayer based on coupled waveguide-surface plasmon resonance mode

A coupled waveguide-surface plasmon resonance (CWSPR) biosensor based on the Kretschmann configuration is developed. The CWSPR couples the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) mode and the waveguide mode and generates two sharp resonance dips in the reflectivity spectrum. The proposed biosensor not only retains the same sensing sensitivity as that of a conventional SPR device but also yields sharper dips in the reflectivity spectrum and therefore provides an improved measurement precision. The two reflectivity spectrum dips enable the refractive indices and thicknesses of both the self-assembled monolayer and a layer of human serum albumin absorbed dynamically on the sensing surface to be determined directly on a real-time basis. The CWSPR biosensor provides the capability to detect the biomolecular conformational changes that occur in biomolecular kinetic interactions.     

From an electron avalanche to the lightning discharge

The goal of this work is to describe qualitatively the physics of processes which begin with an electron avalanche and finish in a lightning discharge. A streamer model is considered that is based on studies of the recently discovered processes occurring in the prestreamer region. The investigation and analysis of these processes enabled making the conclusion that they are, in essence, the attendant processes, which ensure the electron avalanche-to-streamer transition, and may be interpreted as a manifestation of properties of a double charge layer exposed to the external electric field. The pressing problems of physical processes which form a lightning discharge are considered from the standpoint of new ideas about the mechanism of the streamer formation and growth. Causes of the emergence of coherent super-high-frequency radiation of a leader and the neutron production in a lightning discharge are revealed that have not been explained so far in the theory of gas discharge. Based also on new ideas about the lightning discharge, a simple ball-lightning model, providing answers to almost allquestions formulated from numerous observations on the behavior of ball lightning, is offered, and the need of a new design of lightning protection instead of the traditional rod is discussed.     

Application of vacuum arc cathode spot model to graphite cathode

A model of near-electrode processes is applied here to describe the behavior of cathode spots on graphite cathode in vacuum arc. The physical model is based on a kinetic treatment of cathode evaporation, electron emission from the cathode, and plasma production. The model consists of physical assumptions and a system of equations that are formulated in the paper. Spot parameters, such as cathode erosion rate, cathode potential drop, cathode surface temperature, current density, electric field, and plasma density, temperature, and velocity in the near-electrode region are calculated numerically. The calculation includes the dependence of spot parameters on spot current and spot lifetime. The variation of spot parameters as a function of spot lifetime are very strong at lifetimes shorter than 10 μs. The calculations indicate that Joule heating in the cathode body is significant, and may exceed cathode heating by the ion heat flux. Calculated spot parameters are compared with the corresponding experimental data for relatively low arc currents (<100 A) and their agreement is discussed     

Calculation of curvature dependent surface plasmon resonance in gold nanospheroid and nanoshell

In this paper, theoretical calculations based on dipole-limit are performed to investigate the effects of curvature on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) properties of nanometer size gold spheroid and shell. By comparing the aspect ratio with the shell thickness, we demonstrated that the curvature radius is a common better factor that can be used to predict the SPR wavelength and shift fashion. For nanospheroid, increasing the ratio of curvature radius corresponding to the climaxes leads to an increase in the ratio of SPR wavelength, whereas increasing the ratio of curvature radius of outer and inner surface in nanoshell leads to an decrease in the ratio of SPR wavelength. As a morphologic factor, curvature radius plays an important role in affecting the distribution of electron density, and consequently controlling the SPR frequency.     

Surface plasmon resonance sensor based on diffraction grating with high sensitivity and high resolution

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on diffraction grating with high sensitivity and high resolution is proposed. The sensitivity of grating coupled SPR sensor based on angular interrogation is enhanced by replacing +1st diffraction order of metallic grating with −1st diffraction order to excite the surface plasmon. To improve the resolution of grating-based SPR sensor, aluminum is used as an SPR-active metal. The reflectivity dip of the Al-based sensor is sharper than an Au-based one, which is the mostly widely used as SPR-active metal. And 3-nm-thick gold film is deposited on the grating surface in order to protect the Al layer from getting oxidized. Numerical simulations show that the sensor not only has high sensitivity and high resolution, but also exhibits good linearity.     

Effect of metamaterial layer on optical surface plasmon resonance sensor

In this paper an optical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with metamaterial for four and five layered structure is studied. The numerical results presented in this paper leads to a significant properties of metamaterials in sensing field. Computed results of SPR sensors using metamaterial are compared with conventional optical SPR sensors for four and five layered structure. It is seen that wider dynamic range or effective range of measurable refractive index increases when metamaterial layer is used. It is also verified that SPR sensor with metamaterial layer can dramatically enhance the resolution and reduce the reflectivity compared with conventional SPR. Validity of the magnetic field results is proved on the basis of smooth match of the fields in the different layers of the proposed optical SPR sensor.     

Surface plasmon resonance based tapered fiber optic sensor with different taper profiles

A theoretical model for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based tapered fiber optic sensor is proposed with three different taper profiles, namely, linear, parabolic, and exponential-linear. The effect of taper ratio and taper profiles on the sensor’s performance is studied in detail and the design considerations for significantly enhanced sensitivity are reported. The study shows that the exponential-linear taper profile with high taper ratio provides the best performance. The physical reasons behind sensitivity enhancement due to taper ratio and taper profile are given, wherever required.     

便携式表面等离子体共振传感器温度特性

采用美国德州仪器公司开发的Spreeta系列小型化SPR传感模块,实验研究了环境温度变化对便携式表面等离子体共振传感器工作特性的影响.发现随着温度的升高,共振角度向小角度方向移动,并提出了完整的理论分析模型.该模型讨论了环境温度变化对金属薄膜、棱镜、待测物的物理性质的影响,模拟结果与实验测量结果吻合得很好.     

In vivo optical neural recording using fiber-based surface plasmon resonance

We propose an intrinsic optical method for in vivo neural recording using optic fiber-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomena. The fiber-based SPR method is electrical artifact free, labeling free, and feasible for a portable system compared with conventional in vivo neural recording systems. We simultaneously detected SPR signals and electrical neural activity from the rat somatosensory cortex evoked by electrical stimulation on the forepaw. Pharmacological analysis using a voltage-gated sodium channel blocker confirmed the neural origins of the optical signals. This fiber-based SPR system promises the enhanced ability to record in vivo neural activity for the investigation of neurons and their networks.     

Experimental comparison between intensity and phase detection sensitivities of grating coupling surface plasmon resonance

This paper experimentally compares the intensity and phase detection sensitivities of grating coupling surface plasmon resonance (SPR). A simple air-heating method is proposed to implement tiny refractive index changes. An electro-optic heterodyne interferometer is used to obtain both the intensity and phase curves of the grating coupling SPR device. The transient reflectivity and phase curves during the heating process are recorded. The result shows that the phase detection sensitivity is much better than that of the intensity by an order of magnitude.     

Surface scattering resonance absorption of free electron in nano structured materials

A physical model has been established for calculating the electronic transportation in nano structured material when it is irradiated by a laser pulse with a power density in a magnitude of GW/cm². The Monte Carlo technique has been selected to deal with the electron scattering process. In the process of electrons absorbing laser energy, a surface scattering resonance absorption mechanism and a small-size effect can be found. The regularities of electron energy changes with laser wavelength, structure dimension, and orientation of nano-line have been analyzed.     

Optical measurement of neural activity using surface plasmon resonance

We demonstrate that surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is applicable to the optical detection of neural signals. A low-noise SPR sensor was developed as a label- and artifact-free method for the extracellular recording of neural activity. The optical responses obtained from a rat sciatic nerve were highly correlated with simultaneously recorded electrical responses. Additional studies with stimulation intensity and lidocaine further confirmed that the optically measured signals originated from neural activities.     

Surface disorder in c-Si induced by swift heavy ions

The disorders induced in crystalline silicon (c-Si) through the process of electronic energy loss in the swift heavy ion irradiation were investigated. A number of silicon <1 0 0> samples were irradiated with 65 MeV oxygen ions at different fluences, 1×10¹³ to 1.5×10¹⁴ ions/cm², and characterized by the Raman spectroscopy, the optical reflectivity, the X-ray reflectivity, the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The intensity, redshift, phonon coherence length and asymmetric broadening associated with the Raman peaks reveal that stressed and disordered lattice zones are produced in the surface region of the irradiated silicon. The average crystallite size, obtained by analyzing Raman spectrum with the phonon confinement model, was very large in the virgin silicon but decreased to<100 nm dimension in the ion irradiated silicon. The results of the X-ray reflectivity, AFM and optical reflectivity of 200–700 nm radiation indicate that the roughness of the silicon surface has enhanced substantially after ion irradiation. The diffusion of oxygen in silicon surface during ion irradiation is evident from the oscillation in the X-ray reflectivity spectrum and the sharp decrease in the reflectivity of 200–400 nm radiation. The rise in temperature, estimated from the heat spike model, was high enough to melt the local silicon surface. The results of XRD indicate that lattice defects have been induced and a new plane <2 1 1> has been formed in the silicon <1 0 0>after ion irradiation. The results of the present study show that the energy deposited in crystalline silicon through the process of electronic energy loss ～0.944 keV/nm per ion is sufficient to induce disorders of appreciable magnitude in the silicon surface even at a fluence of ～10¹³ ions/cm².     

Evolution of the optical reflectivity of a monolayer of nanoparticles during its growth on a dielectric thin film

The reflectivity variations of a dielectric thin film during the deposition of a disordered monolayer of metallic nanoparticles are studied. We present experimental results and provide theoretical physical insight into the behavior of the reflectivity signal and its dependence on the dielectric thin-film thickness and structural features of the monolayer of nanoparticles. A closed-form expression is used to describe the reflectivity of a disordered monolayer of particles on a flat substrate within the frame of a coherent-scattering model approach. It is shown that the model reproduces qualitatively the behavior of the reflectivity signal during the experiment. Finally we study the optical response in the limit of small particles for low surface coverage fractions of the monolayer to evidence the main parameters that dictate the evolution of the reflectivity signal during the growth of a monolayer of nanoparticles.     

Effect of aspect ratio on the inter-surface plasmonic coupling of tubular gold nanoparticle

A theoretical study based on discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and coupling effect is presented on the tunable transverse surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a gold nanotube with varying aspect ratio (AR). Because gold nanotube has the shape features from both rod and shell, both the AR and wall thickness can greatly affect the transverse SPR. It is observed that the maximum red shift can be obtained with small wall thickness and AR. By calculating the local field distribution, the physical mechanism of this multi shape factors controlled plasmon shifting has been illustrated by the coulombic interaction from the charges at the interfaces of gold nanotube. This study indicates that finding the surface charge distribution by calculating the local electric field can be used as an effective method to analyze the plasmonic characters in complicated metallic nanostructure.