Abstract
We experimentally demonstrate the integration of near-field optical tweezers with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy by using the optical evanescent wave from a silicon nitride waveguide to trap single shell-isolated metallic nanoparticles (NPs) and simultaneously excite SERS signals of Raman reporter molecules adsorbed on the surface of the trapped metallic NPs. Both evanescent wave excited Stokes and anti-Stokes SERS spectra of waveguide trapped single silver (Ag) NPs were acquired, which were compared to their far-field SERS spectra. We investigated the trapping of bare and shell-isolated metallic NPs and determined that the addition of a shell to the metallic NPs minimized particle-induced laser damage to the waveguide, which allowed for the stable acquisition of the SERS spectra. This work realizes a new nanophotonic approach, which we refer to as near-field light scattering Raman (NLS-Raman), for simultaneous near-field optical trapping and SERS characterization of single metallic NPs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 6793-6802 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Optics Express |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2015 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics