Highly Sensitive Terahertz Metasurface Based on Electromagnetically Induced Transparency-Like Resonance in Detection...

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Terahertz (THz) metasurfaces with electromagnetically induced transparency-like (EIT-like) resonances are effective for biological sensing.
• Current methods primarily use refractive index sensing, overlooking transmission magnitude and Q-factor for tumor detection.
• Practical differentiation between cancerous and healthy cells using THz metasurfaces remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive THz metasurface for improved biological sensing.
• To investigate the potential of EIT-like resonances for differentiating between cancerous and healthy cells.
• To enhance cancer detection methods through a novel metasurface design.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a THz EIT-like metasurface using asymmetric resonators on an ultra-thin, flexible dielectric substrate.
• Experimental verification of bright-dark mode coupling at 1.96 THz, supported by numerical and theoretical analysis.
• Development of a two-layer skin model with cultured keratinocyte cell lines for sensing experiments.

Main Results:

• Achieved an enhanced theoretical sensitivity of 550 GHz/RIU due to the ultra-thin substrate and novel design.
• Observed frequency shifts of 40 GHz and 20 GHz when switching between basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and healthy cell lines, and with increased BCC density.
• Demonstrated the capability of combined sensing analysis to characterize different cell lines.

Conclusions:

• The developed THz metasurface offers enhanced sensitivity for biological sensing.
• This technology shows potential for distinguishing between cancerous and healthy cells.
• The findings suggest a new avenue for fast, simple, and cost-effective early cancer detection.