A comparative analysis of plasmonic and dielectric metasurface sensing platforms powered by bound states in the continuum

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Jiang, Tao, Bhattacharya, Angana, Barkey, Martin, Aigner, Andreas, Weber, Thomas, Wang, Juan, Maier, Stefan A., Tittl, Andreas
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Jiang, Tao
Bhattacharya, Angana
Barkey, Martin
Aigner, Andreas
Weber, Thomas
Wang, Juan
Maier, Stefan A.
Tittl, Andreas
author_facet Jiang, Tao
Bhattacharya, Angana
Barkey, Martin
Aigner, Andreas
Weber, Thomas
Wang, Juan
Maier, Stefan A.
Tittl, Andreas
contents Nanophotonic platforms based on surface-enhanced infrared absorbance spectroscopy (SEIRAS) have emerged as an effective tool for molecular detection. Sensitive nanophotonic sensors with robust resonant modes and amplified electromagnetic near fields are essential for spectroscopy, especially in lossy environments. Metasurfaces driven by bound state in the continuum (BICs) have unlocked a powerful platform for molecular detection due to their exceptional spectral selectivity. While plasmonic BIC metasurfaces are preferred for molecular spectroscopy due to their high surface fields, enhancing the interaction with analytes, dielectric BICs have become popular due to their high-quality factors and, thus high sensitivity. However, their sensing performance has largely been demonstrated in air, neglecting the intrinsic infrared (IR) losses found in common solvents. This study evaluates the suitability of plasmonic versus dielectric platforms for in-situ molecular spectroscopy. Here, the sensing performance of plasmonic (gold) and dielectric (silicon) metasurfaces is assessed across liquid environments with varying losses resembling typical solvents. The results show that dielectric metasurfaces excel in dry conditions, while plasmonic BIC metasurfaces outperform them in lossy solvents, with a distinct crossover point where both show similar performance. Our results provide a framework for selecting the optimal metasurface material platform for SEIRAS studies based on environmental conditions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_18636
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A comparative analysis of plasmonic and dielectric metasurface sensing platforms powered by bound states in the continuum
Jiang, Tao
Bhattacharya, Angana
Barkey, Martin
Aigner, Andreas
Weber, Thomas
Wang, Juan
Maier, Stefan A.
Tittl, Andreas
Optics
Nanophotonic platforms based on surface-enhanced infrared absorbance spectroscopy (SEIRAS) have emerged as an effective tool for molecular detection. Sensitive nanophotonic sensors with robust resonant modes and amplified electromagnetic near fields are essential for spectroscopy, especially in lossy environments. Metasurfaces driven by bound state in the continuum (BICs) have unlocked a powerful platform for molecular detection due to their exceptional spectral selectivity. While plasmonic BIC metasurfaces are preferred for molecular spectroscopy due to their high surface fields, enhancing the interaction with analytes, dielectric BICs have become popular due to their high-quality factors and, thus high sensitivity. However, their sensing performance has largely been demonstrated in air, neglecting the intrinsic infrared (IR) losses found in common solvents. This study evaluates the suitability of plasmonic versus dielectric platforms for in-situ molecular spectroscopy. Here, the sensing performance of plasmonic (gold) and dielectric (silicon) metasurfaces is assessed across liquid environments with varying losses resembling typical solvents. The results show that dielectric metasurfaces excel in dry conditions, while plasmonic BIC metasurfaces outperform them in lossy solvents, with a distinct crossover point where both show similar performance. Our results provide a framework for selecting the optimal metasurface material platform for SEIRAS studies based on environmental conditions.
title A comparative analysis of plasmonic and dielectric metasurface sensing platforms powered by bound states in the continuum
topic Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18636