Plasmonic Nanostructure Lattices for High‐Performance Sensing

Abstract

Plasmonic nanostructures show great promise for sensing because their nanoscale confined light fields are sensitive to the change in the surroundings. Conventional plasmonic sensors based on surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) have inspired considerable progress in sensing but still suffer from an oblique incidence or moderate sensitivity. This review focuses on how the rational design of novel plasmonic nanostructures can enable high‐performance sensing. Patterned nanostructures such as nanoparticle (NP) lattices to support surface lattice resonances (SLRs) and plasmonic nanogaps with nanogap modes are emerging to overcome the sensing limitations of SPP and LSPR. Moreover, hybrid nanostructures of plasmonic components with functional materials, such as metal‐organic frameworks, 2D materials, oxides, and polymers, show opportunities to further improve sensitivity and selectivity. In addition, plasmonic nanolasing and resonance modes from new materials exhibit appealing features for sensing. It is expected that further studies on plasmonic nanostructures with low‐loss materials, chirality characteristics, novel devices, and advanced fabrications will provide outlooks for high‐performance sensing.

High-Q and Intense Lattice Plasmon Resonance in Hexagonal Nonclose Packed Thin Silver Nanoshells Array

“…Specially, there exists an optimal silver thickness (∼20 nm) for achieving the LPR with a maximum Q -factor up to 610 at 870 nm. Our findings may find potential applications in low-threshold plasmonic band-edge lasing, − ultrasensitive biosensors, strong light-matter coupling, and so on.…”

“…This diffraction coupling mechanism can effectively suppress the radiation loss of the LSPs supported by the single metallic nanoparticle and thus obtain ultrahigh- Q plasmonic resonance . According to recent works, the Q -factors as high as 218–2340 of LPRs have been successfully predicted and achieved in various metallic nanostructures array immersed into the uniform environment, − ,,,,− which have found important applications in fields such as high-performance sensing, long-distance resonance energy transfer, low-threshold nanolasers, − and enhancing nonlinear optical processes …”

“…This diffraction coupling mechanism can effectively suppress the radiation loss of the LSPs supported by the single metallic nanoparticle and thus obtain ultrahigh-Q plasmonic resonance. 26 According to recent works, the Q-factors as high as 218−2340 of LPRs have been successfully predicted and achieved in various metallic nanostructures array immersed into the uniform environment, 1−3,12,13,21,25−30 which have found important applications in fields such as high-performance sensing, 30 long-distance resonance energy transfer, 31 low-threshold nanolasers, 32−35 and enhancing nonlinear optical processes. 36 In addition, a simple noble metallic (Au/Ag) nanoshell composed of a dielectric nanosphere core and a metallic shell is also demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally to be capable of supporting high-Q cavity plasmon mode (CPM) on the order of ∼200, 37,38 which has been designed for lowthreshold nanolaser, 39 high-performance biosensor, 40 fluorescent shaper, 41 and plasmonic ruler.…”

High Q-Factor Plasmonic Surface Lattice Resonances in Colloidal Nanoparticle Arrays

“…Several studies illustrate the direct relationship between the Q -factors of plasmonic nanostructure resonances and the associated near-field intensity distribution. , While LSPRs sustained by single metal NPs usually reach a value of Q = 5–10, , SLRs from ordered arrays can largely exceed these numbers, giving rise to sharp resonances that find application in a large number of fields. SLRs are ideal for sensing since they are susceptible to small changes in the refractive index of the surrounding environment with high sensitivity and specificity. − Furthermore, high Q -factor SLRs can be used to enhance the efficiency of light absorption and emission in optoelectronic devices by coupling the SLRs to an emitter, such as a quantum dot or a fluorescent molecule. , …”

High-Quality Resonances from Plasmonic Nanoparticle Lattices under Normal Incidence

“…4−6 Further, the promise of LSPR-based detections is substantially hindered by their broad resonance widths (typically exceeding 80 nm). 7 Arranging metal NPs into periodical arrays can couple LSPRs of units to the diffracted waves of arrays to support surface lattice resonances (SLRs), where the radiative loss is significantly suppressed to support resonances with line widths down to 10 nm. 8−10 The narrow resonance line widths and strong field enhancement of SLRs lead to potentially high sensitivity and a low limit of detection.…”