Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2204.07754

Nanogap-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy with Template-Stripped Wafer-Scale Arrays of Buried Plasmonic Cavities

Xiaoshu Chen·Cristian Ciracì·David R. Smith·Sang-Hyun Oh
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We have combined atomic layer lithography and template stripping to produce a new class of substrates for surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy. Our structure consists of a buried and U-shaped metal-insulator-metal waveguide whose folded vertical arms efficiently couple normally incident light. The insulator is formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 and precisely defines the gap size. The buried nanocavities are protected from contamination by a silicon template until ready for use and exposed by template stripping on demand. The exposed nanocavity generates strong infrared resonances, tightly confines infrared radiation into a gap that is as small as 3 nm (λ/3300), and creates a dense array of millimeter-long hotspots. After partial removal of the insulators, the gaps are backfilled with benzenethiol molecules, generating distinct Fano resonances due to strong coupling with gap plasmons, and a SEIRA enhancement factor of 10^5 is observed for a 3 nm gap. Because of the wafer-scale manufacturability, single-digit-nanometer control of the gap size via ALD, and long-term storage enabled by template stripping, our buried plasmonic nanocavity substrates will benefit broad applications in sensing and spectroscopy.

Explore related subjects

physics.opticsphysics.app-ph

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Xiaoshu Chen, Cristian Ciracì, David R. Smith, Sang-Hyun Oh. 2022-04-16. Nanogap-Enhanced Infrared Spectroscopy with Template-Stripped Wafer-Scale Arrays of Buried Plasmonic Cavities. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl503126s

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Programmable Intrinsic Circularly Polarized Emission

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is central to chiral photonics, yet programming circularly polarized emission at the nanoscale remains challenging. Here, we program intrinsic CPL at its microscopic origin in laser-written all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals embedded in glass. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveals a core-shell-like variation in interplanar spacing associated with intrinsic CPL, consistent with torsional lattice distortion. The torsional lattice distortion breaks inversion symmetry, while density functional theory calculations show that it lifts the spin degeneracy of the band-edge electronic states. Power-dependent measurements further reveal a transition from birefringence-mediated circular polarization to intrinsic CPL, accompanied by the emergence of a distinct core-shell-like lattice distortion in the nanocrystals. By tuning the incident linear polarization angle and focal depth, we deterministically control both the handedness and magnitude of the intrinsic CPL, with |glum| of approximately 4 ^ 10^-3. These results show that programmable intrinsic CPL originates from the structural and electronic properties of the emitting nanocrystals, enabling circularly polarized emission to be controlled at its microscopic origin and spatially encoded within a monolithic material.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2026

Square-Root Higher-Order Exceptional Points with Symmetry-Induced Multiple Spectral Responses

We generalize square-root procedure to non-Hermitian systems with finite lattices, providing a spectral operation scheme applicable to arbitrary tight-binding models. Via this generalized square-root approach, we construct novel chiral-symmetric higher-order exceptional points (EPs) with multiple spectral responses. By taking square-root of a parent Hamiltonian hosting an $n$th-order EP (EP$_n$), an EP$_{2n+1}$ chiral-symmetric square-root system is obtained, whose lattice sites are inherited from both the parent system and an auxiliary residual system. The chiral-symmetry-induced structure of the generalized eigenspace enables onsite and coupling perturbations to selectively generate spectral responses of different orders. The proposed scheme is universal, applicable to any existing tight-binding EP system and iterable to generate EPs of arbitrarily high order. With enriched ultrasensitive spectral responses, the chiral-symmetric higher-order EP system provides a promising platform for signal amplification, detection and non-Hermitian control.

physics.optics↗
arXiv2026

Global Framework for Dynamics and Criticality of Bound States in the Continuum

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) exhibit rich momentum-space dynamics, including merging, annihilation, and reconnection across symmetry directions and bands. Yet these phenomena have largely been explained case by case, without a unified framework to classify or predict them. Here we develop a global symmetry-equivariant theory for the dynamics of nondegenerate and degenerate BICs. We show that BIC dynamics can be classified into $α$-, $β$-, and $γ$-processes according to root motion, which not only encompass the reported dynamics in $C_{2v}$, $C_{4v}$, and $C_{6v}$ systems but also include previously unrecognized ones. More importantly, we reveal that distinct dynamics are bridged by the criticality of BICs through a \emph{merging of merging}, in which selected direction--band branches acquire higher-order radiation zeros. Such a theory predicts which branches become critical and how to tune system parameters to realize them. Following this framework, we construct high-order BICs in full-wave calculations, realizing $Q\sim k^{-10}$ nondegenerate criticality and $Q\sim k^{-8}$ single-branch and band-paired degenerate criticalities. Our framework provides a systematic route to understanding, discovering, and selectively controlling BIC dynamics and high-$Q$ states.

physics.optics↗