Polarization multiplexed fluorescence enhancer using a pixelated one-dimensional photonic band gap structure

Fluorescence enhancement using photonic crystals can produce a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio for single molecule and low molecule-concentration fluorescence imaging in biological and biochemical studies. In this Letter, a pixelated one-dimensional photonic band gap structure was designed to enhance both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations through a spatially multiplexed photonic crystal resonance. The average enhancement of 15.6 and 17.9 fold were experimentally verified for the transverse and longitudinal fields on the same substrate. This device may be used as an optical platform for molecular orientation determination.