Sensitivity and detection limit of concentration and adsorption measurements by laser-induced surface-plasmon resonance

Influence of the metal film thickness on the sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance biosensors

The influence of the metal film thickness (i.e., the chromium adhesion promoting film and the gold film) on the sensitivity of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) signals (i.e., resonance angle shift and reflectance change) towards the thickness variation of the nonabsorbing dielectric film is investigated. The sensitivity of reflectance change decreases when a thick chromium film or a thin gold film is employed. Its linear range becomes narrower as the thickness of the metal films increases. The sensitivity and linear range of the resonance angle shift are not affected by the thickness variation of the metal films. The phenomena were theoretically explained based on the attenuated total reflection (ATR) generated evanescent field at the prism/metal interface and the SPR-generated evanescent field at the metal/dielectric interface.

Use of surface plasmon-coupled emission to measure DNA hybridization

The authors describe a new approach to measuring DNA hybridization based on surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE). SPCE is the resonance coupling of excited fluorophores with electron motions in thin metal films, resulting in efficient transfer of energy through the film and radiation into the glass substrate. The authors evaluated the use of SPCE for detection of DNA hybridization. An unlabeled capture biotinylated oligonucleotide was attached near the surface of a thin (50 nm) silver film using streptavidin. The authors then measured the emission intensity of single-stranded Cy5-labeled DNA upon binding to a complementary oligomer attached to a silver film. Hybridization could be detected by an increase in SPCE, which appeared as light radiated into the substrate at a sharply defined angle near 73 degrees from the normal. The largest signals were observed when the excitation angle of incidence equaled the surface plasmon wavelength, but directional emission was also observed without excitation by the surface plasmon evanescent field. The increased intensity is due to proximity to the metal surface, so that hybridization can be detected without a change in the quantum yield of the fluorophore. These results indicate that SPCE can provide highly sensitive real-time measurement of DNA hybridization.

DNA hybridization using surface plasmon-coupled emission

We describe a new approach to measuring DNA hybridization using surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE). Excited fluorophores are known to couple with surface oscillations of electrons in thin metal films, typically 50 nm thick silver on a glass prism. These surface plasmons then radiate into the glass at a sharply defined angle determined by the emission wavelength and the optical properties of the glass and metal. This radiation has the same spectral profile as the emission spectrum of the fluorophores. We studied the emission due to Cy3-labeled DNA oligomers bound to complementary unlabeled oligomers which were themselves bound to the metal surface. Hybridization resulted in SPCE due to Cy3-DNA into the prism. Directional SPCE was observed whether the sample was illuminated from the sample side or through the glass substrate at the surface plasmon angle for the excitation wavelength. A large fraction of the total potential emission is coupled to the surface plasmons resulting in improved sensitivity. When illuminated through the prism at the surface plasmon angle, the sensitivity is increased due to the enhanced intensity of the resonance evanescent field. It is known that SPCE depends on proximity to the silver surface. As a result, changes in emission intensity are observed due to fluorophore localization even if hybridization does not affect the quantum yield of the fluorophore. The use of SPCE resulted in suppression of interfering emission from a noncomplementary Cy5-DNA oligomers due to weaker coupling of the more distant fluorophores with the surface plasmons. We expect SPCE to have numerous applications to nucleic acid analysis and for the measurement of bioaffinity reactions.

Radiative decay engineering 3. Surface plasmon-coupled directional emission

A new method of fluorescence detection that promises to increase sensitivity by 20- to 1000-fold is described. This method will also decrease the contribution of sample autofluorescence to the detected signal. The method depends on the coupling of excited fluorophores with the surface plasmon resonance present in thin metal films, typically silver and gold. The phenomenon of surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) occurs for fluorophores 20-250 nm from the metal surface, allowing detection of fluorophores over substantial distances beyond the metal-sample interface. SPCE depends on interactions of the excited fluorophore with the metal surface. This interaction is independent of the mode of excitation; that is, it does not require evanescent wave or surface-plasmon excitation. In a sense, SPCE is the inverse process of the surface plasmon resonance absorption of thin metal films. Importantly, SPCE occurs over a narrow angular distribution, converting normally isotropic emission into easily collected directional emission. Up to 50% of the emission from unoriented samples can be collected, much larger than typical fluorescence collection efficiencies near 1% or less. SPCE is due only to fluorophores near the metal surface and may be regarded as emission from the induced surface plasmons. Autofluorescence from more distal parts of the sample is decreased due to decreased coupling. SPCE is highly polarized and autofluorescence can be further decreased by collecting only the polarized component or only the light propagating with the appropriate angle. Examples showing how simple optical configurations can be used in diagnostics, sensing, or biotechnology applications are presented. Surface plasmon-coupled emission is likely to find widespread applications throughout the biosciences.

Effect of varying electric potential on surface-plasmon resonance sensing

The high sensitivity of surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors allows measurements of small variations in surface potentials to be made. We studied the changes of the SPR angle when an oscillating electric potential was applied to a gold film on which surface plasmons were excited. The shifts of the SPR resonance angle were observed for various aqueous solutions as an adjacent medium. A model that takes into account the redistribution of charges at the double layer near the metal-liquid interface as well as the oxidation of the gold film was developed. It was found that a change in the electronic density at voltages below the oxidation potential and, in addition, the oxidation of the gold surface above this potential are the main mechanisms that account for the observed dependences. It was shown that relatively slow oxidation-reduction processes can explain the observed hysteresis effect. Application of these techniques to studies of dielectric properties and conformational changes of polar biomolecules, such as tubulin, are discussed.

Optical sensor based on Fabry-Perot resonance modes

An oscillating wave sensor based on Fabry-Perot resonance modes has been developed. Different from the surface plasmon resonance sensors and the waveguide mode sensors in which the sample is located in the evanescent field region, the proposed device contains the sample in the core region that supports the oscillating field. Owing to the strong concentration of the electromagnetic field in the sensing medium, the proposed device exhibits unusual sensitivity enhancement, which has never been exploited in any other devices.

Interferometric optical sensor for measuring glucose concentration

With a specially designed probe, the phase difference between s andp polarization of light reflected under surface-plasmon resonance is measured by use of a common-path heterodyne interferometer. For specific ratios of phase difference to glucose concentration, the glucose concentration can be estimated as a function of the measured phase data. A prototype was set up to demonstrate the feasibility of this sensor, which was experimentally tested in the range 40-500 mg/dl with a small quantity of solution and had a measurement resolution of 1.41 mg/dl at 25 degrees C.

Optical heterodyne surface-plasmon resonance biosensor

A novel optical heterodyne surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor with a Zeeman laser is proposed. Two surface plasma waves are excited by two correlated p-polarized waves in a SPR device of the Kretschmann configuration. Two reflected p waves are optically heterodyned such that the magnitude of the heterodyned signal is proportional to the multiplication of two attenuated reflected p waves. Then the detection sensitivity and the dynamic range based on this amplitude-sensitive method are enhanced. In the experiment, the kinetics between mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) and rabbit antimouse IgG is obtained from sensograms of various concentrations of antimouse IgG. A detection sensitivity of 0.2 nM was achieved. In addition, a concentration of 5 ng/ml of protein G interacting with mouse IgG was measured successfully.

Sensitive disk resonator photonic biosensor

We describe a photonic device based on a high-finesse, whispering-gallery-mode disk resonator that can be used for the detection of biological pathogens. This device operates by means of monitoring the change in transfer characteristics of the disk resonator when biological materials fall onto its active area. High sensitivity is achieved because the light wave interacts many times with each pathogen as a consequence of the resonant recirculation of light within the disk structure. Specificity of the detected substance can be achieved when a layer of antibodies or other binding material is deposited onto the active area of the resonator. Formulas are presented that allow the sensitivity of the device to be quantified and that show that, under optimum conditions, as few as 100 molecules can be detected.

Effect of incident angle of light on sensitivity and detection limit for layers of antibody with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy

The effect of the incident angle of light on sensitivity and the detection limit for surface-plasmon resonance spectroscopy were examined. The sensitivities and the detection limit were experimentally measured using an antibody as a modeled analyte in the incident angles of a light region of 66-76 degrees. The results showed that the sensitivity of a smaller incident angle was higher than that of a larger one. For instance, the sensitivity of a 66 degree incident angle was three times higher than that of a 76 degree incident angle. The detection limit with a 66 degree incident angle was one-tenth of that with a 76 degree incident angle. These sensitivities and detection limits were compared with those of a commercially produced surface-plasmon resonance instrument. This comparison demonstrated that a wavelength resolution of the order of less than 10(-2) nm was necessary to obtain satisfactory sensitivities and detection limits. In addition, the refractive index and thickness of the antibody layer formed on a sensor surface was proposed by experimental results and theoretical calculation.

Sensitivity of optical sensors based on laser-excited surface-plasmon waves

We investigate the effect of the divergence of a Gaussian laser beam on the resonance curve and the sensitivity of optical sensors based on surface-plasmon resonance (SPR). For He-Ne laser beams it is found that, for beams with a waist radius of less than 300 microm, the SPR-curve characteristics differ appreciably from the case in which a plane wave is considered. Simple expressions for the sensitivity of (bio)chemical sensors are given. A simple Lorentzian model is used to estimate the maximum possible sensitivity when a multilayer system is used to enhance the resonance peak. It was found that the sensitivity can reach its highest value when the width of the SPR curve is equal to the laser-beam divergence. The results could be particularly important when a SPR curve is used to measure the absolute value of the refractive index of a sample or the dielectric constant and the thickness of a metal layer.

Refractive-index and thickness sensitivity in surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy

The sensitivities of surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy were examined at incident angles of 66-76 deg. The sensitivities were calculated for various refractive indices of liquid samples and for various thicknesses of deposited dielectric thin layers. Furthermore, the sensitivities were confirmed experimentally. The experimentally measured refractive indices and thicknesses were 1.3311-1.3463 and 0-89 nm, respectively. From these results it was demonstrated that the sensing system showed higher sensitivities with smaller incident angles. For example, the sensitivity for a refractive index at a 66 degrees incident angle was seven times larger than that at 76 degrees. It was also demonstrated that the resonant wavelength has a linear relation to the refractive index and the thickness at refractive indices and thicknesses of 1.33-1.345 and 0-100 nm, respectively, except for a 66 degrees incident angle.