Masahiko Shioi

Tuning plasmonic interaction between gold nanorings and a gold film for surface enhanced Raman scattering

We investigate the plasmonic properties of gold nanorings in close proximity to a gold film. The rings have been fabricated using nanosphere lithography and are optimized to boost their near-infrared surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects. A SERS enhancement factor as large as 1.4×107 has been achieved by tuning the separation between the gold nanorings and the gold film. In addition, we have numerically and experimentally demonstrated an enhanced tunability of the plasmon resonance wavelength and a narrowing of the plasmon linewidth for increasing ring-film interaction.

Tuning the interaction between propagating and localized surface plasmons for surface enhanced Raman scattering in water for biomedical and environmental applications

With a view to biomedical and environmental applications, we investigate the plasmonic properties of a rectangular gold nanodisk array in water to boost surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects. To control the resonance wavelengths of the surface plasmon polariton and the localized surface plasmon, their dependence on the array period and diameter in water is studied in detail using a finite difference time domain method. A good agreement is obtained between calculated resonant wavelengths and those of gold nanodisk arrays fabricated using electron beam lithography. For the optimized structure, a SERS enhancement factor of 7.8 × 107 is achieved in water experimentally.

Robustness of surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate with a mercaptosilane adhesive layer for in vivo sensing applications

A highly robust surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for in vivo sensing applications is reported. In vivo sensing demands structurally robust substrates with good optical performance. SERS substrates containing gold nanostructures on SiO2 supports often suffer from a low adhesion strength of gold on SiO2. The proposed SERS substrate contains a mercaptosilane adhesive layer, which provides a high robustness without deteriorating the plasmon performance, in contrast to traditional titanium adhesive layers. The mercaptosilane-modified SERS substrate is sufficiently robust for in vivo sensing, as evidenced by its implantation in the animal skin for 2 months.

Photoluminescence enhancement of silicon quantum dot monolayer by plasmonic substrate fabricated by nano-imprint lithography

Near-field coupling between a silicon quantum dot (Si-QD) monolayer and a plasmonic substrate fabricated by nano-imprint lithography and having broad multiple resonances in the near-infrared (NIR) window of biological substances was studied by precisely controlling the QDs-substrate distance. A strong enhancement of the NIR photoluminescence (PL) of Si-QDs was observed. Detailed analyses of the PL and PL excitation spectra, the PL decay dynamics, and the reflectance spectra revealed that both the excitation cross-sections and the emission rates are enhanced by the surface plasmon resonances, thanks to the broad multiple resonances of the plasmonic substrate, and that the relative contribution of the two enhancement processes depends strongly on the excitation wavelength. Under excitation by short wavelength photons (405 nm), where enhancement of the excitation cross-section is not expected, the maximum enhancement was obtained when the QDs-substrate distance was around 30 nm. On the other hand, under long wavelength excitation (641 nm), where strong excitation cross-section enhancement is expected, the largest enhancement was obtained when the distance was minimum (around 1 nm). The achievement of efficient excitation of NIR luminescence of Si-QDs by long wavelength photons paves the way for the development of Si-QD-based fluorescence bio-sensing devices with a high bound-to-free ratio.Near-field coupling between a silicon quantum dot (Si-QD) monolayer and a plasmonic substrate fabricated by nano-imprint lithography and having broad multiple resonances in the near-infrared (NIR) window of biological substances was studied by precisely controlling the QDs-substrate distance. A strong enhancement of the NIR photoluminescence (PL) of Si-QDs was observed. Detailed analyses of the PL and PL excitation spectra, the PL decay dynamics, and the reflectance spectra revealed that both the excitation cross-sections and the emission rates are enhanced by the surface plasmon resonances, thanks to the broad multiple resonances of the plasmonic substrate, and that the relative contribution of the two enhancement processes depends strongly on the excitation wavelength. Under excitation by short wavelength photons (405 nm), where enhancement of the excitation cross-section is not expected, the maximum enhancement was obtained when the QDs-substrate distance was around 30 nm. On the other hand, under long...