Open AccessTheoretical investigation of SERS nanosensors based on hybrid waveguides made of metallic slots and dielectric strips
Author(s) -
Feng Tang,
PierreMichel Adam,
Salim Boutami
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.021244
Subject(s) - nanosensor , materials science , raman scattering , plasmon , optics , waveguide , raman spectroscopy , surface plasmon polariton , surface plasmon , photonics , optoelectronics , finite difference time domain method , dielectric , nanotechnology , physics
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is widely used to sensitively detect molecules or markers in pharmacology, biology, etc. We study numerically the possibility to realize SERS detections directly on a photonic chip. It is presented that a SERS sensor created by combining a gold slot waveguide and a Si 3 N 4 strip waveguide can be designed to excite enhanced Raman effects and extract their scattering signals on a chip. Using 3D finite-difference time-domain simulations, the SERS processes, excitation of surface plasmon in slots and radiation of induced Raman dipoles, are analyzed to simulate SERS detections in reality. It demonstrates the influence of the geometrical parameters on the electromagnetic fields in slots and therefore the local enhancements, based on the |E| 4 -approximation. The results show that a SERS nanosensor can be achieved based on the hybrid waveguide. The integration of this sensor with a micro-laser and a micro-demultiplexer, could achieve an on-a-chip and fully integrated system for portable and fast SERS detections.