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Kanellopulos K, West RG, Schmid S. Nanomechanical Photothermal Near Infrared Spectromicroscopy of Individual Nanorods. ACS PHOTONICS 2023; 10:3730-3739. [PMID: 37869554 PMCID: PMC10588552 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Understanding light-matter interaction at the nanoscale requires probing the optical properties of matter at the individual nanoabsorber level. To this end, we developed a nanomechanical photothermal sensing platform that can be used as a full spectromicroscopy tool for single molecule and single particle analysis. As a demonstration, the absorption cross-section of individual gold nanorods is resolved from a spectroscopic and polarization standpoint. By exploiting the capabilities of nanomechanical photothermal spectromicroscopy, the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance in the NIR range is unraveled and quantitatively characterized. The polarization features of the transversal surface plasmon resonance in the VIS range are also analyzed. The measurements are compared with the finite element method, elucidating the role played by electron surface and bulk scattering in these plasmonic nanostructures, as well as the interaction between the nanoabsorber and the nanoresonator, ultimately resulting in absorption strength modulation. Finally, a comprehensive comparison is conducted, evaluating the signal-to-noise ratio of nanomechanical photothermal spectroscopy against other cutting-edge single molecule and particle spectroscopy techniques. This analysis highlights the remarkable potential of nanomechanical photothermal spectroscopy due to its exceptional sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kostas Kanellopulos
- Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, TU Wien, Gusshausstrasse 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert G. West
- Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, TU Wien, Gusshausstrasse 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvan Schmid
- Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems, TU Wien, Gusshausstrasse 27-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
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Manca N, Remaggi F, Plaza AE, Varbaro L, Bernini C, Pellegrino L, Marré D. Stress Analysis and Q-Factor of Free-Standing (La,Sr)MnO 3 Oxide Resonators. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2202768. [PMID: 35931457 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202202768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
High-sensitivity nanomechanical sensors are mostly based on silicon technology and related materials. The use of functional materials, such as complex oxides having strong interplay between structural, electronic, and magnetic properties, may open possibilities for developing new mechanical transduction schemes and for further enhancement of the device performances. The integration of these materials into micro/nano-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) is still at its very beginning and critical basic aspects related to the stress state and the quality factors of mechanical resonators made from epitaxial oxide thin films need to be investigated. Here, suspended micro-bridges are realized from single-crystal thin films of (La0.7 ,Sr0.3 )MnO3 (LSMO), a prototypical complex oxide showing ferromagnetic ground state at room temperature. These devices are characterized in terms of resonance frequency, stress state, and Q-factor. LSMO resonators are highly stressed, with a maximum value of ≈260 MPa. The temperature dependence of their mechanical resonance is discussed considering both thermal strain and the temperature-dependent Young's modulus. The measured Q-factors reach few tens of thousands at room temperature, with indications of further improvements by optimizing the fabrication protocols. These results demonstrate that complex oxides are suitable to realize high Q-factor mechanical resonators, paving the way toward the development of full-oxide MEMS/NEMS sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Manca
- CNR-SPIN, C.so F. M. Perrone, 24, Genova, 16152, Italy
| | - Federico Remaggi
- CNR-SPIN, C.so F. M. Perrone, 24, Genova, 16152, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá degli Studi di Genova, Genova, 16146, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Varbaro
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá degli Studi di Genova, Genova, 16146, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniele Marré
- CNR-SPIN, C.so F. M. Perrone, 24, Genova, 16152, Italy
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá degli Studi di Genova, Genova, 16146, Italy
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Ultra-sensitive measurement of transverse displacements with linear photonic gears. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1080. [PMID: 35228536 PMCID: PMC8885676 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28700-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurately measuring mechanical displacements is essential for a vast portion of current technologies. Several optical techniques accomplish this task, allowing for non-contact sensing even below the diffraction limit. Here we introduce an optical encoding technique, dubbed “linear photonic gears”, that enables ultra-sensitive measurements of a transverse displacement by mapping it into the polarization rotation of a laser beam. In ordinary ambient conditions, we measure the relative shift between two objects with a resolution of 400 pm. We argue that a resolution of 50 pm should be achievable with existing state-of-the-art technologies. Our single-optical-path scheme is intrinsically stable and it could be implemented as a compact sensor, using cost effective integrated optics. We anticipate it may have a strong impact on both research and industry. The authors introduce linear gears to measure mechanical displacements with high sensitivity. Such gears covert tiny transverse shifts between two birefringent devices into a giant polarization rotation of a laser beam.
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Vicarelli L, Tredicucci A, Pitanti A. Micromechanical Bolometers for Subterahertz Detection at Room Temperature. ACS PHOTONICS 2022; 9:360-367. [PMID: 35211645 PMCID: PMC8855436 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c01273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fast room-temperature imaging at terahertz (THz) and subterahertz (sub-THz) frequencies is an interesting technique that could unleash the full potential of plenty of applications in security, healthcare, and industrial production. In this Letter, we introduce micromechanical bolometers based on silicon nitride trampoline membranes as broad-range detectors down to sub-THz frequencies. They show, at the longest wavelengths, room-temperature noise-equivalent powers comparable to those of state-of-the-art commercial devices (∼100 pW Hz-1/2), which, along with the good operation speed and the easy, large-scale fabrication process, could make the trampoline membrane the next candidate for cheap room-temperature THz imaging and related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Vicarelli
- Laboratorio
NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto
Nanoscienze - CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Tredicucci
- Laboratorio
NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto
Nanoscienze - CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 3, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pitanti
- Laboratorio
NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto
Nanoscienze - CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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Adhikari S, Spaeth P, Kar A, Baaske MD, Khatua S, Orrit M. Photothermal Microscopy: Imaging the Optical Absorption of Single Nanoparticles and Single Molecules. ACS NANO 2020; 14:16414-16445. [PMID: 33216527 PMCID: PMC7760091 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c07638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The photothermal (PT) signal arises from slight changes of the index of refraction in a sample due to absorption of a heating light beam. Refractive index changes are measured with a second probing beam, usually of a different color. In the past two decades, this all-optical detection method has reached the sensitivity of single particles and single molecules, which gave birth to original applications in material science and biology. PT microscopy enables shot-noise-limited detection of individual nanoabsorbers among strong scatterers and circumvents many of the limitations of fluorescence-based detection. This review describes the theoretical basis of PT microscopy, the methodological developments that improved its sensitivity toward single-nanoparticle and single-molecule imaging, and a vast number of applications to single-nanoparticle imaging and tracking in material science and in cellular biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhasis Adhikari
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick Spaeth
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ashish Kar
- Chemistry
Discipline, Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujrat 382355, India
| | - Martin Dieter Baaske
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Saumyakanti Khatua
- Chemistry
Discipline, Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujrat 382355, India
| | - Michel Orrit
- Huygens−Kamerlingh
Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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