New type high-index dielectric nanosensors based on the scattering intensity shift

Sensing is regarded as one of the most important applications of noble metal-based nanoplasmonics. However, all previous designs have been based on the wavelength-shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance, in which the sensitivity is intrinsically limited by the low quality factors induced by metal losses, and meanwhile the large ohmic loss, high cost and inevitable toxicity and biofouling for detection in vivo greatly hinder their further applications in biosensors. Beyond noble metals, high-refractive index dielectric materials (HRDMs) like silicon with low-loss and strong magnetic response have drawn more attention. Here, for the first time, we proposed a HRDM nanosphere as a new nanosensor for biomolecule detection, and experimentally demonstrated a HRDM sensor working on the intensity-shift but not wavelength-shift of the scattering. The sensing mechanism based on the synergistic effect of the broadening electric mode shift of HRDMs and the Kerker's scattering intensity-shift is beneficial to achieve higher sensitivity. We validated the efficacy of our sensor to detect refractive index changes and trace amounts of streptavidin molecules, and the sensitivity can reach 27 times as high as the highest sensitivity reported to date for nanoplasmonic structures. These findings showed that monitoring the change of the scattering intensity of HRDM nanostructures is superior to monitoring the wavelength-shift of nanoplasmonic structures, as is widely used in nanoplasmonic sensors, for biosensing, meaning HRDM nanosensors could be an important tool in biomolecule detection.