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Updated: Feb 26, 2026
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Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
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Bloch Surface Wave-Coupled Emission at Ultra-Violet Wavelengths
Ramachandram Badugu1, Jieying Mao2, Steve Blair3
1Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Summary
Researchers developed a dielectric photonic crystal supporting Bloch surface waves (BSWs). This structure enables efficient coupling with near-UV fluorophores, offering new possibilities for bioassays and optical imaging.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Biophysics
Background:
- Interaction between fluorophores and metallic structures is a key research area.
- Dielectric photonic structures offer advantages like reduced energy loss and quenching compared to plasmonic structures.
- Bloch surface waves (BSWs) are surface electromagnetic waves confined to the interface of a periodic dielectric structure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a dielectric one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC) supporting BSWs.
- To demonstrate the coupling of a near-UV fluorophore (2-aminopurine, 2-AP) with the BSWs.
- To explore the potential of BSW structures for bioassays and optical imaging.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a 1DPC using alternating layers of SiO2 and Si3N4 on a quartz slide.
- Characterization of the 1DPC to confirm the presence of BSWs in the 280-440 nm range.
- Demonstration of coupling between 2-AP molecules on the surface and the BSWs.
Main Results:
- The 1DPC structure successfully supported BSWs within the specified wavelength range.
- Efficient coupling was observed between surface-localized 2-AP and the BSWs.
- Bloch wave-coupled emission (BWCE) was radiated through the dielectric layer with a narrow angular distribution.
Conclusions:
- Dielectric 1DPC structures can support BSWs that couple effectively with fluorophores.
- This coupling enables Bloch wave-coupled emission (BWCE) with potential for optical detection.
- These BSW structures offer novel optical configurations for bioassays and imaging of surface-localized biomolecules.
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