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Recent advances in plasmonic nanocavities for single-molecule spectroscopy
Nicolò Maccaferri1, Grégory Barbillon2, Alemayehu Nana Koya3
1Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg 162a avenue de la Faïencerie L-1511 Luxembourg Luxembourg.
Nanoscale Advances
|September 22, 2022
Summary
Plasmonic nanocavities enhance electromagnetic fields for ultrasensitive detection. Their geometry enables single-molecule sensing via surface-enhanced Raman scattering and fluorescence.
Area of Science:
- Nanophotonics and Plasmonics
- Optical Sensing Technologies
Background:
- Plasmonic nanocavities confine electromagnetic fields to subwavelength volumes.
- These cavities have enabled applications in sensing, optical trapping, and single-molecule investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in plasmonic nanocavities.
- To highlight their application in single-molecule detection.
Main Methods:
- Engineering the geometry of plasmonic nanocavities.
- Utilizing local field intensity enhancement for sensing.
Main Results:
- Suitably designed nanocavities yield enhanced optical sensing.
- Applications include surface-enhanced Raman scattering, fluorescence, and Förster resonance energy transfer.
- Demonstrated extreme sensitivity for single-molecule analysis.
Conclusions:
- Plasmonic nanocavities are powerful tools for ultrasensitive detection.
- Nanocavity design is crucial for optimizing field confinement and sensing performance.
