Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Fabrication of Zero Mode Waveguides for High Concentration Single Molecule Microscopy
Published on: May 12, 2020
A Comparison of Single-Molecule Emission in Aluminum and Gold Zero-Mode Waveguides
W Elliott Martin1, Bernadeta R Srijanto2, C Patrick Collier2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky , 505 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States.
Abstract:
The effect of gold and aluminum zero-mode waveguides (ZMWs) on the brightness of immobilized single emitters was characterized by probing fluorophores that absorb in the green and red regions of the visible spectrum. Aluminum ZMWs enhance the emission of Atto565 fluorophores upon green excitation, but they do not enhance the emission of Atto647N fluorophores upon red excitation. Gold ZMWs increase emission of both fluorophores with Atto647N showing enhancement that is threefold higher than that observed for Atto565. This work indicates that 200 nm gold ZMWs are better suited for single-molecule fluorescence studies in the red region of the visible spectrum, while aluminum appears more suited for the green region of the visible spectrum.
More Related Videos
07:39Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
10:41Enhanced Electron Injection and Exciton Confinement for Pure Blue Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes by Introducing Partially Oxidized Aluminum Cathode
Published on: May 31, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Overview
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab