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Updated: May 9, 2026

Fabrication of 1-D Photonic Crystal Cavity on a Nanofiber Using Femtosecond Laser-induced Ablation
Published on: February 25, 2017
Radiative decay engineering 6: fluorescence on one-dimensional photonic crystals
Ramachandram Badugu1, Kazimierz Nowaczyk, Emiliano Descrovi
1Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Fluorophores interacting with dielectric photonic crystals (PCs) show enhanced emission. This Bragg grating-coupled emission (BGCE) offers a promising alternative to metal-based plasmonics for fluorescence sensing.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
Background:
- Interactions between fluorophores and metallic nanoparticles enhance emission via surface plasmons.
- Metal-based plasmonics suffer from quenching and energy dissipation, limiting applications.
- Dielectric structures offer an alternative to metals for controlling light-matter interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction of fluorophores with one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals (PCs).
- To explore the phenomenon of Bragg grating-coupled emission (BGCE) in dielectric systems.
- To assess the potential of 1D PCs for fluorescence detection and sensing.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of 1D photonic crystals (PCs) with alternating dielectric layers.
- Characterization of fluorophore interactions with 1D PCs in the near-field.
- Analysis of emission properties, including coupling to internal modes and Bloch surface waves (BSWs).
Main Results:
- Fluorophores near 1D PCs exhibit near-field interactions with the structure.
- Emission coupling occurs through internal modes and Bloch surface waves (BSWs).
- Surface-bound fluorophores predominantly emit into the substrate via the 1D PC, termed BGCE.
Conclusions:
- Bragg grating-coupled emission (BGCE) is demonstrated in dielectric 1D PCs.
- 1D PCs are robust, reusable, and simple to fabricate.
- BGCE offers new possibilities for fluorescence detection and sensing applications.
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