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Li Y, Nicoli F, Chen C, Lagae L, Groeseneken G, Stakenborg T, Zandbergen H, Dekker C, Van Dorpe P, Jonsson MP. Photoresistance switching of plasmonic nanopores. Nano Lett 2015; 15:776-82. [PMID: 25514824 PMCID: PMC4296925 DOI: 10.1021/nl504516d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Fast and reversible modulation of ion flow through nanosized apertures is important for many nanofluidic applications, including sensing and separation systems. Here, we present the first demonstration of a reversible plasmon-controlled nanofluidic valve. We show that plasmonic nanopores (solid-state nanopores integrated with metal nanocavities) can be used as a fluidic switch upon optical excitation. We systematically investigate the effects of laser illumination of single plasmonic nanopores and experimentally demonstrate photoresistance switching where fluidic transport and ion flow are switched on or off. This is manifested as a large (∼ 1-2 orders of magnitude) increase in the ionic nanopore resistance and an accompanying current rectification upon illumination at high laser powers (tens of milliwatts). At lower laser powers, the resistance decreases monotonically with increasing power, followed by an abrupt transition to high resistances at a certain threshold power. A similar rapid transition, although at a lower threshold power, is observed when the power is instead swept from high to low power. This hysteretic behavior is found to be dependent on the rate of the power sweep. The photoresistance switching effect is attributed to plasmon-induced formation and growth of nanobubbles that reversibly block the ionic current through the nanopore from one side of the membrane. This explanation is corroborated by finite-element simulations of a nanobubble in the nanopore that show the switching and the rectification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Li
- imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven B3001, Belgium
- Department of Electrical
Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Francesca Nicoli
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University
of Technology, Lorentzweg
1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Chang Chen
- imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven B3001, Belgium
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Liesbet Lagae
- imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven B3001, Belgium
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guido Groeseneken
- imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven B3001, Belgium
- Department of Electrical
Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Henny
W. Zandbergen
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University
of Technology, Lorentzweg
1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University
of Technology, Lorentzweg
1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Pol Van Dorpe
- imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven B3001, Belgium
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Magnus P. Jonsson
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University
of Technology, Lorentzweg
1, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands
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