Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

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SYLS: Life Sciences on the Nanometer Scale - Physics Meets Biology

SYLS 3: Symposium "Life Sciences on the Nanometer Scale - Physics Meets Biology"

SYLS 3.56: Poster

Wednesday, March 10, 2004, 16:00–18:30, B

Plasmon-enhanced Ramanspectroscopy in the Near-field of Dynamically Tuneable Nanostructured Gratings — •Dominic Zerulla, Gereon Isfort, Frank Katzenberg, Micha Kölbach, and Klaus Schierbaum — Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, IPkM, AG Physikalische Methoden für Biologie und Medizin, Universitätsstr. 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf

Ramanspectroscopy has proven to be a powerful tool in the investigation of biological molecules. However, additional enhancements are often needed. As a first enhancement we use the resonance effect by tuning the laser wavelength onto a certain electronic excitation.
Apart from Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) as a second enhancement technique which is ill-suited to the problem, one solution to the problem is given by exciting a surface-plasmon-wave on a surface which is specifically tailored to the system. Confining the enhancement to its electromagnetic part by means of smooth surfaces or a regular metallic grating leads to predictable electromagnetic field strengths with decay lengths of about 100 nm. In order to meet the requirements of a specific plasmon excitation and the resonance conditions simultaneously, it is extremely helpful to tune the grating properties. This is done by using specific gratings which consist of quantum wire-like structures of metals on a polymer base whose spacings can be changed dynamically from 0 nm to several hundredth of nm. Such systems can be optimized to yield high sensitivity and selectivity along with decay length appropriate for detection of macromolecular mechanisms at membranes.