2025-06-26 スイス連邦工科大学ローザンヌ校（EPFL）
A metasurface of gold nanowires drives quantum light emission and concentrates the resulting light waves to detect biomolecules. 2025 Ella Maru Studio/BIOS EPFL CC BY SA 4.0
＜関連情報＞
- https://actu.epfl.ch/news/epfl-scientists-build-first-self-illuminating-bi-2/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-025-01708-y
共鳴量子トンネリングが可能にするプラズモニック・バイオセンサー Plasmonic biosensor enabled by resonant quantum tunnelling
Jihye Lee,Yina Wu,Ivan Sinev,Mikhail Masharin,Sotirios Papadopoulos,Eduardo J. C. Dias,Lujun Wang,Ming Lun Tseng,Seunghwan Moon,Jong-Souk Yeo,Lukas Novotny,F. Javier García de Abajo & Hatice Altug
Nature Photonics Published:26 June 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01708-y
Abstract
Metasurfaces provide an ideal platform for optical sensing because they produce strong light-field confinement and enhancement over extended regions that allow us to identify deep-subwavelength layers of organic and inorganic molecules. However, the requirement of using external light sources involves bulky equipment that hinders point-of-care applications. Here we introduce a plasmonic sensor with an embedded source of light provided by quantum tunnel junctions. An optically resonant, doubly periodic nanowire metasurface serves as a top contact for the junction and provides extremely uniform emission over large areas, amplified by plasmonic nanoantenna modes that simultaneously enhance the spectral and refractive index sensitivity. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate spatially resolved refractometric sensing of nanometre-thick polymer and biomolecule coatings. Our results open exciting prospects based on a disruptive platform for integrated electro-optical biosensors.
