Overview of the characteristics of micro- and nano-structured surface plasmon resonance sensors

Self-Reference Refractive Index Sensor Based on Independently Controlled Double Resonances in Side-Coupled U-Shaped Resonators

A plasmonic, refractive, index nanosensor is investigated theoretically and numerically in two U-shaped cavities side-coupled to a metal–dielectric–metal (MDM) waveguide. A transparency window between two transmission dips is observed. The physical origin of the transmission phenomenon is revealed by mapping the magnetic field distribution. Independent double resonances are realized through the proposed design. Double resonances showed diverse responses to the variations of the structural dimensions. In particular, they presented different dependences on a refraction index of the medium in an individual resonator. One resonance exhibited a remarkable shift with the increase of the refraction index; however, the other resonance remained unchanged. On the basis of this unique characteristic of differing sensitivities, self-reference sensing is discussed. The nanosensor yielded a high sensitivity of 917 nm/RIU and a figure of merit of 180 RIU⁻¹. This work is helpful in terms of the design of on-chip optical sensors with high sensitivity and improved detection accuracy in complicated environments.

Plasmonic Multichannel Refractive Index Sensor Based on Subwavelength Tangent-Ring Metal⁻Insulator⁻Metal Waveguide

In this paper, a multichannel refractive index sensor based on a subwavelength metal⁻insulator⁻metal (MIM) waveguide coupled with tangent-ring resonators is proposed. When two tangent-ring resonators were placed above the MIM waveguide, Fano resonance with asymmetrical line shape appeared in the transmission spectrum due to the interference between the light⁻dark resonant modes. The sensitivity and figure of merit were as high as 880 nm/RIU and 964, respectively. Through adding more tangent-ring resonators, multiple Fano resonances with ultrasharp peaks/dips were achieved in the wavelength range of 800⁻2000 nm. Besides, negative group delays were also observed in the Fano resonant dips. Two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method was used to simulate and analyze the performances of the proposed structures. These kinds of multiring structures can find important applications in the on-chip optical sensing and optical communication areas.

Electromagnetic Nanoparticles for Sensing and Medical Diagnostic Applications

A modeling and design approach is proposed for nanoparticle-based electromagnetic devices. First, the structure properties were analytically studied using Maxwell's equations. The method provides us a robust link between nanoparticles electromagnetic response (amplitude and phase) and their geometrical characteristics (shape, geometry, and dimensions). Secondly, new designs based on "metamaterial" concept are proposed, demonstrating great performances in terms of wide-angle range functionality and multi/wide behavior, compared to conventional devices working at the same frequencies. The approach offers potential applications to build-up new advanced platforms for sensing and medical diagnostics. Therefore, in the final part of the article, some practical examples are reported such as cancer detection, water content measurements, chemical analysis, glucose concentration measurements and blood diseases monitoring.

Spectrometer-Free Plasmonic Biosensing with Metal-Insulator-Metal Nanocup Arrays

The development of high performing and accessible sensors is crucial to future point-of-care diagnostic sensing systems. Here, we report on a gold-titanium dioxide-gold metal-insulator-metal plasmonic nanocup array device for spectrometer-free refractometric sensing with a performance exceeding conventional surface plasmon resonance sensors. This device shows distinct spectral properties such that a superstrate refractive index increase causes a transmission intensity increase at the peak resonance wavelength. There is no spectral shift at this peak and there are spectral regions with no transmission intensity change, which can be used as internal device references. The sensing mechanism, plasmon-cavity coupling optimization, and material properties are studied using electromagnetic simulations. The optimal device structure is determined using simulation and experimental parameter sweeps to tune the cavity confinement and the resonance coupling. An experimental sensitivity of 800 ΔT%/RIU is demonstrated. Spectrometer-free, imaged-based detection is also carried out for the cancer biomarker carcinoembryonic antigen with a 10 ng/mL limit of detection. The high performance and distinct spectral features of this metal-insulator-metal plasmonic nanocup array make this device promising for future portable optical sensing systems with minimal instrumentation requirements.

Nanoplasmonic sensors for detecting circulating cancer biomarkers

The detection of cancer biomarkers represents an important aspect of cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Recently, the concept of liquid biopsy has been introduced whereby diagnosis and prognosis are performed by means of analyzing biological fluids obtained from patients to detect and quantify circulating cancer biomarkers. Unlike conventional biopsy whereby primary tumor cells are analyzed, liquid biopsy enables the detection of a wide variety of circulating cancer biomarkers, including microRNA (miRNA), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), proteins, exosomes and circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Among the various techniques that have been developed to detect circulating cancer biomarkers, nanoplasmonic sensors represent a promising measurement approach due to high sensitivity and specificity as well as ease of instrumentation and operation. In this review, we discuss the relevance and applicability of three different categories of nanoplasmonic sensing techniques, namely surface plasmon resonance (SPR), localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), for the detection of different classes of circulating cancer biomarkers.

Bias-scanning based tunable LSPR sensor

The principle and the characteristics of the bias-scanning based tunable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors for environmental refractive index have been theoretically and numerically investigated in detail. The sensors exhibit linear negative-shifts in the scattering-bias spectral position when the refractive index of the surrounding medium increases. By bias-scanning, a single-wavelength measurement for sensing the environmental refractive index can be realized effectively. In addition, we demonstrate that the sensing performance of the designed sensor can be adjusted by nano-scale manipulations of metal nanoparticles' sizes and shapes. The proposed devices may pave the way for the development of electrochemical sensors that can convert spectrum scanning into bias scanning.

Development of an electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) fabric-based plasmonic sensor for point-of-care diagnostics

A plasmonic fabric-based electrode has been developed for wearable EC-SERS sensing for point-of-care applications.

Sensitivity enhancement of a conventional gold grating assisted surface plasmon resonance sensor by using a bimetallic configuration

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based refractive index sensor using a silver grating fabricated over the gold film is proposed. The performance of the sensor has been evaluated on the basis of sensitivity, full width half maximum (FWHM), and dip strength of the reflection spectrum. Rigorous coupled wave analysis has been utilized to study the effect of grating parameters on sensing performance. Our systematic analysis exhibits that inappropriate grating parameters may lead to poor performance of the sensor. Sensitivity of the conventional gold grating (grating engraved in gold) assisted SPR sensor is obtained to be 321°/RIU. Further, we have shown that sensitivity and FWHM could be improved by using a bimetallic structure that consists of a silver grating on a thin gold film and thereby increases the quality factor. Sensitivity of the proposed structure is 346°/RIU with a quality factor more than 97.46  RIU^-1.

Influence of an Al2O3 surface coating on the response of polymeric waveguide sensors

The responses of a polymer ridge waveguide Young interferometer with and without a bilayer of Al₂O₃/TiO₂, fabricated by atomic layer deposition, are studied and compared when applied as an aqueous chemical sensor. The phase shift of the guided mode, as a result of the change in refractive index of the cover medium, is monitored. The results indicate that the over-coating affects the linearity of the sensor response. The effect of concentration on the linearity of the sensor response is investigated by applying different concentrations of water-ethanol solution. Although the performance of the sensor is improved by the additional layers, the study reveals a non-monotonic behavior of the device. We show that it comes mainly from the adsorption of ethanol molecules on the surface of the films. Such an understanding of the platform is crucial for sensing of analytes involving polar molecules.

Tunable and high-sensitivity sensing based on Fano resonance with coupled plasmonic cavities

Tunable and high-sensitivity sensing based on Fano resonance is analytically and numerically investigated in coupled plasmonic cavities structure. To analyze and manipulate the Fano line shape, the coupled cavities are taken as a composite cavity that supports at least two resonance modes. A theoretical model is newly-established, and its results agree well with the finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations for the plasmonic stub-pair structure. The detection sensitivity factor in coupled cavities approaches 6.541 × 10⁷ m⁻¹, which is an order of magnitude larger than single stub case. In addition, the wavelengths of resonant modes in the plasmonic stub-pair structure can be adjusted independently, which paves a new way for improving detection sensitivity. These discoveries hold potential applications for realizing tunable and highly integrated photonic devices.

Figure of Merit Enhancement of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Using a Low-Refractive-Index Porous Silica Film

In this paper; the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with a porous silica film was studied. The effect of the thickness and porosity of the porous silica film on the performance of the sensor was analyzed. The results indicated that the figure of merit (FOM) of an SPR sensor can be enhanced by using a porous silica film with a low-refractive-index. Particularly; the FOM of an SPR sensor with 40 nm thick 90% porosity porous silica film; whose refractive index is 1.04 was improved by 311% when compared with that of a traditional SPR sensor. Furthermore; it was found that the decrease in the refractive index or the increase in the thickness of the low-refractive-index porous silica film can enlarge the FOM enhancement. It is believed that the proposed SPR sensor with a low-refractive-index porous silica film will be helpful for high-performance SPR sensors development.

Metamaterials and Metasurfaces for Sensor Applications

Electromagnetic metamaterials (MMs) and metasurfaces (MSs) are artificial media and surfaces with subwavelength separations of meta-atoms designed for anomalous manipulations of light properties. Owing to large scattering cross-sections of metallic/dielectric meta-atoms, it is possible to not only localize strong electromagnetic fields in deep subwavelength volume but also decompose and analyze incident light signal with ultracompact setup using MMs and MSs. Hence, by probing resonant spectral responses from extremely boosted interactions between analyte layer and optical MMs or MSs, sensing the variation of refractive index has been a popular and practical application in the field of photonics. Moreover, decomposing and analyzing incident light signal can be easily achieved with anisotropic MSs, which can scatter light to different directions according to its polarization or wavelength. In this paper, we present recent advances and potential applications of optical MMs and MSs for refractive index sensing and sensing light properties, which can be easily integrated with various electronic devices. The characteristics and performances of devices are summarized and compared qualitatively with suggestions of design guidelines.

Tunability and Sensing Properties of Plasmonic/1D Photonic Crystal

Gold/one-dimensional photonic crystal (Au/1D-PC) is fabricated and applied for sensitive sensing of glucose and different chemical molecules of various refractive indices. The Au layer thickness is optimized to produce surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at the right edge of the photonic band gap (PBG). As the Au deposition time increased to 60 sec, the PBG width is increased from 46 to 86 nm in correlation with the behavior of the SPR. The selectivity of the optimized Au/1D-PC sensor is tested upon the increase of the environmental refractive index of the detected molecules. The resonance wavelength and the PBG edges increased linearly and the transmitted intensity increased nonlinearly as the environment refractive index increased. The SPR splits to two modes during the detection of chloroform molecules based on the localized capacitive coupling of Au particles. Also, this structure shows high sensitivity at different glucose concentrations. The PBG and SPR are shifted to longer wavelengths, and PBG width is decreased linearly with a rate of 16.04 Å/(μg/mm³) as the glucose concentration increased. The proposed structure merits; operation at room temperature, compact size, and easy fabrication; suggest that the proposed structure can be efficiently used for the biomedical and chemical application.

Proximity correction and resolution enhancement of plasmonic lens lithography far beyond the near field diffraction limit

The methods for resolution enhancement and proximity correction of plasmonic lens lithography far beyond near field diffraction limit are investigated.

Label-Free Sensing on Microarrays

Microarrays of biological molecules such as DNAs, proteins, carbohydrates, and small molecules provide a high-throughput platform for screening tens of thousands of biomolecular interactions simultaneously, facilitating the functional characterization of these biomolecules in areas of genomics, proteomics, glycomics, and cytomics. Routinely, analysis of binding reactions between solution-phased probes and surface-immobilized targets involves some kinds of fluorescence-based detection methods. Even though these methods have advantages of high sensitivity and wide dynamic range, labeling probes and/or targets inevitably changes their innate properties and in turn affects probe-target interactions in often uncharacterized ways. Therefore, in recent years, various label-free sensing technologies have been developed for characterizing biomolecular interactions in microarray format. These biosensors, to a certain extent, take the place of fluorescent methods by providing a comparable sensitivity as well as retaining the conformational and functional integrality of biomolecules to be investigated. More importantly, some of these biosensors are capable of real-time monitoring probe-target interactions, providing the binding affinities of these reactions. Using label-free biosensors in microarrays has become a current trend in developing high-throughput screening platforms for drug discoveries and applications in all areas of "-omics." This article is aimed to provide principles and recent developments in label-free sensing technologies applicable to microarrays, with special attentions being paid to surface plasmon resonance microscopy and oblique-incidence reflectivity difference microscopy.

Numerical investigations of a near-infrared plasmonic refractive index sensor with extremely high figure of merit and low loss based on the hybrid plasmonic waveguide-nanocavity system

With vertically slotted hybrid plasmonic waveguides (VSHPWs)-nanocavity system fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator platform, a near-infrared surface plasmon resonances (SPRs)-based refractive index (RI) sensor with extremely high figure of merit FOM = 224.3 and transmission efficiency T = 97.6% is proposed and investigated. Based on the finite element method, effective mode index behaviors together with spectral properties are calculated to analyze and optimize the sensing performance. Within near-infrared region, the wavelength sensitivity (S) and optical resolution (FWHM) can be achieved as S = 1817.5nm/RIU and FWHM = 7.4nm. A mechanism of synergy between propagating SPRs and localized SPRs is also presented for further improving the sensitivity (as high as 2647.5nm/RIU). In addition, the VSHPWs-based RI sensor can be fully realized by CMOS-compatible fabrication technology. In general, the high FOM, S and T achieved by our designed structure may have extensive applications in nanophotonic circuits, environmental monitoring and even pharmaceutical research.

Near-field focus steering along arbitrary trajectory via multi-lined distributed nanoslits

The modulation of near-field signals has recently attracted considerable interest because of demands for the development of nano-scale optical devices that are capable of overcoming the diffraction limit of light. In this paper, we propose a new type of tuneable plasmonic lens that permits the foci of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) signals to be continuously steered by adjusting the input polarization state. The proposed structure consists of multi-lined nanoslit arrays, in which each array is tilted at a different angle to provide polarization sensitivity and the nanoslit size is adjusted to balance the relative amplitudes of the excited SPPs from each line. The nanoslits of each line are designed to focus SPPs at different positions; hence, the SPP focal length can be tuned by modifying the incident polarization state. Unlike in previously reported studies, our method enables plasmonic foci to be continuously varied with a smooth change in the incident linear polarization state. The proposed structures provide a novel degree of freedom in the multiplexing of near fields. Such characteristics are expected to enable the realization of active SPP modulation that can be applied in near-field imaging, optical tweezing systems, and integrated nano-devices.

Figure of merit enhancement of surface plasmon resonance sensors using absentee layer

By adding an absentee layer on the top of the metallic layer, the figure of merit (FOM) of a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with Kretschmann configuration was enhanced, without changing the resonance angle and the reflectance at the resonance angle. Comparing with a traditional SPR sensor, the FOM of the SPR sensor with an absentee layer composed of either 1367 nm thick KCl or 235 nm thick Si₃N₄ can be improved by 5.53% or 11.41%, respectively. The enhancement of the FOM should be attributed to the faster decrease of the full width at half-maximum than the sensitivity after an absentee layer was applied in the SPR sensor.

Fano Resonance Based on Metal-Insulator-Metal Waveguide-Coupled Double Rectangular Cavities for Plasmonic Nanosensors

A refractive index sensor based on metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguides coupled double rectangular cavities is proposed and investigated numerically using the finite element method (FEM). The transmission properties and refractive index sensitivity of various configurations of the sensor are systematically investigated. An asymmetric Fano resonance lineshape is observed in the transmission spectra of the sensor, which is induced by the interference between a broad resonance mode in one rectangular and a narrow one in the other. The effect of various structural parameters on the Fano resonance and the refractive index sensitivity of the system based on Fano resonance is investigated. The proposed plasmonic refractive index sensor shows a maximum sensitivity of 596 nm/RIU.

Ultra sub-wavelength surface plasmon confinement using air-gap, sub-wavelength ring resonator arrays

Arrays of sub-wavelength, sub-10 nm air-gap plasmonic ring resonators are fabricated using nanoimprinting. In near infra-red (NIR) range, the resonator supports a single dipole mode which is excited and identified via simple normal illumination and explored through transmission measurements. By controlling both lateral and vertical confinement via a metal edge, the mode volume is successfully reduced down to 1.3 × 10⁻⁵ λ₀³. The advantage of such mode confinement is demonstrated by applying the resonators biosensing. Using bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules, a dramatic enhancement of surface sensitivity up to 69 nm/nm is achieved as the modal height approaches the thickness of the adsorbed molecule layers.

Three dimensional sensitivity characterization of plasmonic nanorods for refractometric biosensors

An experimental three dimensional characterization of the local refractive index sensitivity of plasmonic gold nanorods is performed by controlled apposition of lithographic nanostructures. We show up to seven times higher sensitivity values to local changes in the refractive index at the particle tip than center. In addition, successive deposition of defined nm-thin dielectric layers on nanorods covered with stripe masks allows us to study the sensitivity decrease normal to the particle surface separately for different particle sites. Clear trends to a stronger sensitivity decay at sites of higher local sensitivity are demonstrated experimentally and theoretically. Our sensitivity characterization provides an important tool to find the most suitable particle type and particle site for specific bio-sensing applications.

Bloch surface wave structures for high sensitivity detection and compact waveguiding

Resonant propagating waves created on the surface of a dielectric multilayer stack, called Bloch surface waves (BSW), can be designed for high sensitivity monitoring of the adjacent refractive index as an alternative platform to the metal-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing. The resonant wavelength and polarization can be designed by engineering of the dielectric layers unlike the fixed resonance of SPR, while the wide bandwidth low loss of dielectrics permits sharper resonances, longer propagation lengths and thus their use in waveguiding devices. The transparency of the dielectrics allows the excitation and monitoring of surface-bound fluorescent molecules. We review the recent developments in this technology. We show the advantages that can be obtained by using high index contrast layered structures. Operating at 1550 nm wavelengths will allow the BSW sensors to be implemented in the silicon photonics platform where active waveguiding can be used in the realization of compact planar integrated circuits for multi-parameter sensing.

Sensing analysis based on plasmon induced transparency in nanocavity-coupled waveguide

We report the sensing characteristic based on plasmon induced transparency in nanocavity-coupled metal-dielectric-metal waveguide analytically and numerically. A simple model for the sensing nature is first presented by the coupled mode theory. We show that the coupling strength and the resonance detuning play important roles in optimizing the sensing performance and the detection limit of sensor, and an interesting double-peak sensing is also obtained in such plasmonic sensor. In addition, the specific refractive index width of the dielectric environment is discovered in slow-light sensing and the relevant sensitivity can be enhanced. The proposed model and findings provide guidance for fundamental research of the integrated plasmonic nanosensor applications and designs.

Enhanced optical transmission through a star-shaped bull's eye at dual resonant-bands in UV and the visible spectral range

Dual resonant bands in UV and the visible range were simultaneously observed in the enhanced optical transmission (EOT) through star-shaped plasmonic structures. EOTs through four types of polygonal bull's eyes with a star aperture surrounded by the concentric star grooves were analyzed and compared for 3, 4, 5, and 6 corners, using finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. In contrast to plasmonic resonances in the visible range, the UV-band resonance intensity was found to scale with the number of corners, which is related with higher order multipole interactions. Spectral positions and relative intensities of the dual resonances were analyzed parametrically to find optimal conditions to maximize EOT in UV-visible dual bands.

Potential-Scanning Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors based on plasmonic nanoparticles attract much attention recently. Here we propose a new class of LSPR sensor, that is, a potential-scanning LSPR sensor, in which electron density of the plasmonic nanoparticles is controlled by potential scanning. The sensor exhibits a resonance peak during the potential scan, which negatively shifts with increasing local refractive index. Therefore, the present sensor can be applied to affinity biosensors and chemical sensors based on potential scan instead of wavelength scan. The potential-scanning LSPR sensors do not require space and a mechanical device for wavelength scanning, so the sensors are advantageous for miniaturization and cost reduction, in comparison with the conventional LSPR sensors. We explain the principle and theoretical sensitivities of the potential-scanning LSPR sensors, and refractometry is demonstrated using a sensor with an ITO electrode loaded with gold nanospheres (13 or 40 nm diameter) or nanorods. The smaller and larger nanospheres are suitable for sensing with a wider dynamic range and with a higher sensitivity, respectively. The use of nanorods further improves the sensitivity and figure of merit.

Local refractive index sensitivity of gold nanodisks

We experimentally investigate the local refractive index sensitivity of plasmonic gold nanodisks by applying small polymer dots to selected disk sites by means of two-step lithography. Measured sensitivity profiles obtained from tracking the polymer-induced spectral shift of the plasmon modes are in excellent agreement with numerical simulation of both spectral sensitivity and the electric near field of the nanodisks. Based on the nanodisk sensitivity profile we tailor a sensitive and spatially uniform plasmonic sensor by capping the disk with a dielectric layer, thus restricting analyte access to the disk rim.

Optical field enhancement of nanometer-sized gaps at near-infrared frequencies

We report near-field and far-field measurements of transmission through nanometer-sized gaps at near-infrared frequencies with varying the gap size from 1 nm to 10 nm. In the far-field measurements, we excluded direct transmission on the metal film surface via interferometric method. Kirchhoff integral formalism was used to relate the far-field intensity to the electric field at the nanogaps. In near-field measurements, field enhancement factors of the nanogaps were quantified by measuring transmission of the nanogaps using near-field scanning optical microscopy. All the measurements produce similar field enhancements of about ten, which we put in the context of comparing with the giant field enhancements in the terahertz regime.

Grating surface plasmon resonance sensor: angular sensitivity, metal oxidization effect of Al-based device in optimal structure

We present the wavelength (λ)-independent ultimate and maximum angular sensitivity of a grating surface plasmon resonance sensor, as long as the grating of metal has much higher permittivity than analyte (na2). For 1.32≤n(a)≤1.36, the maximum angular sensitivity reaches 493.7 (535.9)°/RIU by the single (double)-dip method. The real Al-based sensor in an optimal structure for a high figure of merit exhibits higher sensitivity but narrower reflection dip when working at a longer wavelength, and the real sensitivity increases from 292.5 (344.5) to 338.0 (396.3)°/RIU at respective λ=0.85 and 1.55 μm before the metal oxidation. After the oxidization, the sensitivity is degraded by ≤3.2% (2.8%), and the detection error of δn(a)≤1.3e-3 (1.1e-3) is introduced to the sensor working at near-infrared wavelengths of interest.

Enhancement and control of surface plasmon resonance sensitivity using grating in conical mounting configuration

In this work we propose a method to enhance and control the angular sensitivity of a grating coupled surface plasmon resonance (GCSPR) sensor. We lighted a silver grating, mounted in conical configuration, with a laser source and we measured the transmittance of the grating as a function of the azimuthal angle. To evaluate the sensitivity, grating surface was functionalized with four different alkanethiol self assembled monolayers (SAM) and the correspondent azimuthal transmittance peak shifts were measured. The sensitivity control was performed by simply change the light incident angle. This method offers the possibility to design dynamic GCSPR sensor benches that can be used to amplify the SPR angle shift at any step of a biological detection process.

Localized surface plasmon resonance of Cu nanoparticles by laser ablation in liquid media

Expanding localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of colloidal copper nanoparticles by laser ablation in liquid (LAL) operated in ambient conditions were reported. The results may aid the application of copper LSPR in optical catalysis and detection devices.

Plasmonic circular resonators for refractive index sensors and filters

A plasmonic refractive index sensor based on a circular resonator is proposed. With all three dimensions below 1 μm, the sensor has a compact and simple structure granting it ease-of-fabrication and ease-of-use. It is capable of sensing trace amounts of liquid or gas samples. The sensing properties are investigated using finite elements method. The results demonstrate that the plasmonic sensor has a relatively high sensitivity of 1,010 nm/RIU, and the corresponding sensing resolution is 9.9 × 10(-5) RIU. The sensor has a relatively high quality factor of 35, which is beneficial for identifying each transmission spectrum. More importantly, the sensitivity is not sensitive to changes of structure parameters, which means that the sensitivity of the sensor is immune to the fabrication deviation. In addition, with a transmittance of 5% at the resonant wavelength, this plasmonic structure can also be employed as a filter. In addition, by filling material like LiNbO3 or liquid crystal in the circular resonator, this filter can realize an adjustable wavelength-selective characteristic in a wide band.

Label free detection of specific protein binding using a microwave sensor

The specific binding of streptavidin to biotinylated protein A was demonstrated using a microwave detection system. In control experiments, the degree of non-specific binding was negligible. The method of detection was used to monitor the adsorption of two other proteins, cytochrome c and glucose oxidase, on to the IDE microwave sensor surface. The response of the sensor was also examined on different substrate materials, with detection of protein binding observed obtained on both smooth, conductive (gold) and on rough, insulating (hydroxyapatite) surfaces.

Plasmonic waveguide ring resonators with 4 nm air gap and λ0(2)/15,000 mode-area fabricated using photolithography

Plasmonic air-gap disk resonators with 3.5 μm diameter and a 4 nm thick, 40 nm wide air gap for a mode area of only λ0(2)/15,000 were fabricated using photolithography only. The resonant modes were clearly identified using tapered fiber coupling method at the resonant wavelengths of 1280-1620 nm. We also demonstrate the advantage of the air-gap structure by using the resonators as label-free biosensors with a sensitivity of 1.6 THz/nm.

Optimization of angularly resolved Bloch surface wave biosensors

Bloch surface wave (BSW) sensors to be used in biochemical analytics are discussed in angularly resolved detection mode and are compared to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors. BSW supported at the surface of a dielectric thin film stack feature many degrees of design freedom that enable tuning of resonance properties. In order to obtain a figure of merit for such optimization, the measurement uncertainty depending on resonance width and depth is deduced from different numerical models. This yields a limit of detection which depends on the sensor's free measurement range and which is compared to a figure of merit derived previously. Stack design is illustrated for a BSW supporting thin film stack and is compared to the performance of a gold thin film for SPR sensing. Maximum sensitivity is obtained for a variety of stacks with the resonance positioned slightly above the TIR critical angle. Very narrow resonance widths of BSW sensors require sufficient sampling but are also associated with long surface wave propagation lengths as the limiting parameter for the performance of this kind of sensors.

Development of phase detection schemes based on surface plasmon resonance using interferometry

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a novel optical sensing technique with a unique ability to monitor molecular binding in real-time for biological and chemical sensor applications. Interferometry is an excellent tool for accurate measurement of SPR changes, the measurement and comparison is made for the sensitivity, dynamic range and resolution of the different analytes using interferometry techniques. SPR interferometry can also employ phase detection in addition to the amplitude of the reflected light wave, and the phase changes more rapidly compared with other approaches, i.e., intensity, angle and wavelength. Therefore, the SPR phase interferometer offers the advantages of spatial phase resolution and high sensitivity. This work discusses the advancements in interferometric SPR methods to measure the phase shifts due to refractive index changes. The main application areas of SPR sensors are demonstrated, i.e., the Fabry-Perot interferometer, Michelson interferometer and Mach-Zehnder interferometer, with different configurations. The three interferometers are discussed in detail, and solutions are suggested to enhance the performance parameters that will aid in future biological and chemical sensors.

Enhancing detection sensitivity of metallic nanostructures by resonant coupling mode and spectral integration analysis

We report a simple method to efficiently improve the detection limit of surface plasmon resonance in periodic metallic nanostructures by using small angle illumination and spectral integration analysis. The large-area gold nanoslit arrays were fabricated by thermal-annealing template-stripping method with a slit width of 60 nm and period of 500 nm. The small angle illumination induced a resonant coupling between surface plasmon mode and substrate mode. It increased ~2.24 times intensity sensitivity at 5.5° incident angle. The small-angle illumination also resulted in multiple resonant peaks. The spectral integration method integrated all changes near the resonant peaks and increased the signal to noise ratio about 5 times as compared to single-wavelength intensity analysis. Combining both small angle and spectral integration, the detection limit was increased to one order of magnitude. The improvement of the detection limit for antigen-antibody interactions was demonstrated.

Detection limits of confocal surface plasmon microscopy

This paper applies rigorous diffraction theory to evaluate the minimum mass sensitivity of a confocal optical microscope designed to excite and detect surface plasmons operating on a planar metallic substrate. The diffraction model is compared with an intuitive ray picture which gives remarkably similar predictions. The combination of focusing the surface plasmons and accurate phase measurement mean that under favorable but achievable conditions detection of small numbers of molecules is possible, however, we argue that reliable detection of single molecules will benefit from the use of structured surfaces. System configurations needed to optimize performance are discussed.

Performance evaluation of a metal-insulator-metal surface plasmon resonance optical gas sensor under the effect of Gaussian beams

In this work, the performance of a nonconventional IR surface plasmon resonance (SPR) gas sensor structure based on the use of a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure is studied. This MIM-based sensor structure gives enhanced performance five times better than the conventional MI SPR optical gas sensors. The performance of the SPR gas sensors is studied under the effect of oblique incident Gaussian beams with different spot sizes, and the performance enhancement of the MIM structure is confirmed for different spot sizes. The simulation technique used to generate the results is also verified by comparing them to actual experimental results available in the literature.

Design study of nanograting-based surface plasmon resonance biosensor in the near-infrared wavelength

A key issue with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors, which are the focus of many researchers, is improving their sensitivity to detect lower amounts of analyte in a solution. Most SPR developments have focused on the grating-based sensitivity-enhancement approach. In addition to sensitivity, a substantial enhancement of other sensor characteristics such as resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is desired for designing a practical sensor. So, in this paper, the characteristics of surface plasmon polaritons sustained by 1D subwavelength metallic gratings on a thin metal slab (under the Krestchmann configuration) have been investigated numerically for the analyte-ligand interactions detection. Effects of different structural parameters, such as grating period, grating depth, metal film thickness, and fill factor have been evaluated on the sensor sensitivity as well as resolution and SNR. Numerical results indicate that the sensor working in the near-infrared wavelength has a better performance than that in the visible one. The result of numerical investigation has been used to design an optimized sensor with the best figure of merit.

Intermediate plasmonic characteristics in a quasi-continuous metallic monolayer

There has been a significant interest on plasmonics in a metallic structure with very narrow gaps for studies of nanophotonics. However, little attention has been paid to the behavior of surface plasmons (SPs) in quasi-continuous metallic structures. This study observes and analyzes intermediate characteristics between propagating SPs (PSPs) and localized SPs (LSPs) in a quasi-continuous metallic monolayer of core-shell nanocubes. We reveal that, in a very narrow region of few-nanometer gaps among the nanocubes, the intrinsic energy bands of PSPs and LSPs intersect each other to generate two hybrid bands and an anti-crossing. Using a self-assembly method instead of the lithographic techniques which have several limitations as of now, we materialize the quasi-continuous metallic layer with plenty of nano-gaps that exhibit intermediate plasmonic characteristics. The intermediate plasmonic characteristics observed in this study will lead to interesting subjects, such as band engineering and slow SPs, in nanophotonics.

A review of refractometric sensors based on long period fibre gratings

In the last decade refractometric sensors have attracted an increasing interest by the scientific community due to their ability to perform ambient monitoring, to assess food quality and safety, and also to the fact that they enable the development of label free sensors in the biomedical area. These advances result, namely, from the use of long period fibre gratings in the turning points and/or with thin films in the transition region that allows resolutions of 10⁻⁶ to changes in the refractive index of the surrounding medium. Resolutions exceeding 10⁻⁸ can also be achieved when long period fibre gratings are combined with evanescent field based devices. This paper reviews the recent path towards the development of ultrahigh sensitive optical fibre refractometric sensors.

Increased detection sensitivity of surface plasmon sensors using oblique induced resonant coupling

Increased detection sensitivity was achieved by adjusting the incident angle on periodic gold nanostructures that induced a resonant coupling between surface and substrate surface plasmon modes. For 500 nm-period gold nanoslits, a small incident angle, 7°, resulted in 2.64 times narrower linewidth and a 1.8 times increase in the figure of merit as compared to normal incidence. Furthermore, the intensity sensitivity was increased 4.5 times due to the change in the resonant coupling and redshift of the surface plasmon mode.

Trends and challenges of refractometric nanoplasmonic biosensors: a review

Motivated by potential benefits such as sensor miniaturization, multiplexing opportunities and higher sensitivities, refractometric nanoplasmonic biosensing has profiled itself in a short time span as an interesting alternative to conventional Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) biosensors. This latter conventional sensing concept has been subjected during the last decades to strong commercialization, thereby strongly leaning on well-developed thin-film surface chemistry protocols. Not surprisingly, the examples found in literature based on this sensing concept are generally characterized by extensive analytical studies of relevant clinical and diagnostic problems. In contrast, the more novel Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) alternative finds itself in a much earlier, and especially, more fundamental stage of development. Driven by new fabrication methodologies to create nanostructured substrates, published work typically focuses on the novelty of the presented material, its optical properties and its use - generally limited to a proof-of-concept - as a label-free biosensing scheme. Given the different stages of development both SPR and LSPR sensors find themselves in, it becomes apparent that providing a comparative analysis of both concepts is not a trivial task. Nevertheless, in this review we make an effort to provide an overview that illustrates the progress booked in both fields during the last five years. First, we discuss the most relevant advances in SPR biosensing, including interesting analytical applications, together with different strategies that assure improvements in performance, throughput and/or integration. Subsequently, the remaining part of this work focuses on the use of nanoplasmonic sensors for real label-free biosensing applications. First, we discuss the motivation that serves as a driving force behind this research topic, together with a brief summary that comprises the main fabrication methodologies used in this field. Next, the sensing performance of LSPR sensors is examined by analyzing different parameters that can be invoked in order to quantitatively assess their overall sensing performance. Two aspects are highlighted that turn out to be especially important when trying to maximize their sensing performance, being (1) the targeted functionalization of the electromagnetic hotspots of the nanostructures, and (2) overcoming inherent negative influence that stem from the presence of a high refractive index substrate that supports the nanostructures. Next, although few in numbers, an overview is given of the most exhaustive and diagnostically relevant LSPR sensing assays that have been recently reported in literature, followed by examples that exploit inherent LSPR characteristics in order to create highly integrated and high-throughput optical biosensors. Finally, we discuss a series of considerations that, in our opinion, should be addressed in order to bring the realization of a stand-alone LSPR biosensor with competitive levels of sensitivity, robustness and integration (when compared to a conventional SPR sensor) much closer to reality.