3D nanoporous antennas as a platform for high sensitivity IR plasmonic sensing

Area of Science:

• Plasmonics
• Nanomaterials Science
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Nanoporous gold (NPG) exhibits unique morphology for enhanced plasmonic effects.
• High field confinement in NPG surpasses conventional plasmonic materials.
• NPG's sensitivity to environmental changes is crucial for sensor development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the sensing sensitivity of NPG with homogeneous gold.
• To evaluate NPG's potential as a high-sensitivity plasmonic sensing platform.
• To demonstrate NPG's effectiveness in the near-infrared spectral region.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of plasmonic resonators using NPG and homogeneous gold.
• Deposition of a stoichiometric dielectric material via Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).
• Comparative analysis of the sensitivity of both gold structures.

Main Results:

• NPG demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity than homogeneous gold.
• The 3D nanoporous structure of NPG enhances field confinement.
• Achieved sensitivity exceeding 4,000 nm/RIU in the near-infrared spectrum.

Conclusions:

• NPG is a highly sensitive plasmonic material for enhanced spectroscopy.
• NPG-based sensors offer superior performance, especially in the near-infrared.
• NPG presents a promising platform for developing next-generation sensors and biosensors.