Terahertz molecular vibrational sensing using 3D printed anapole meta-biosensor.

Area of Science:

• Spectroscopy and Sensing
• Biophysics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Terahertz (THz) fingerprint sensing offers unique molecular identification capabilities.
• Metasurface biosensors can enhance sensitivity through electromagnetic interactions.
• Label-free detection is crucial for many biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a THz metasurface biosensor for sensitive, label-free detection of biomolecules.
• To utilize the anapole mode and electromagnetic induced absorption (EIA) for enhanced sensing.
• To demonstrate the capability of the sensor for quantitative analysis and molecule recognition.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an out-of-plane metal-insulator-metal (MIM) metasurface biosensor.
• Utilizing THz spectroscopy to detect molecular vibrational fingerprints.
• Employing machine learning algorithms for molecule recognition and classification.

Main Results:

• Accurate detection of D-glucose solutions down to physiological levels.
• Quantitative characterization of D-glutamic acid, D-lactose, and their mixtures.
• Achieved 100% recognition of five different molecules using a single resonance metasensor and machine learning.

Conclusions:

• The proposed metasurface biosensor provides a robust strategy for trace, label-free molecular recognition.
• This technology holds significant potential for advancing THz sensing in biomedical testing and clinical diagnosis.