Nanopillar array on a fiber facet for highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Area of Science:

• Nanotechnology
• Spectroscopy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) offers high sensitivity for molecular detection.
• Optical fiber sensors provide a platform for remote and in situ analysis.
• Developing integrated SERS platforms within optical fibers is crucial for advanced sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly-sensitive optical fiber SERS sensor using interference lithography.
• To characterize the SERS performance of the developed fiber probe.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of in situ remote sensing using the fiber SERS probe.

Main Methods:

• Interference lithography was employed to fabricate a silver-coated nanopillar array on an optical fiber facet.
• The optical fiber was configured for both front-end and remote-end detection.
• SERS performance was evaluated using a trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)-ethylene (BPE) monolayer and toluene vapor.

Main Results:

• An enhancement factor of 1.2 × 10(7) was achieved with front-end detection.
• The fiber SERS probe successfully performed in situ remote sensing of toluene vapor.
• The developed probe exhibits excellent sensitivity and remote sensing capabilities.

Conclusions:

• A highly-sensitive optical fiber SERS sensor has been successfully developed.
• The probe demonstrates significant potential for molecular detection in various remote sensing applications.
• This technology opens avenues for advanced in situ chemical analysis.