Single mode waveguide platform for spontaneous and surface-enhanced on-chip Raman spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper reviews a CMOS-compatible on-chip waveguide platform for spontaneous and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, highlighting design flexibility, integration capabilities, and initial experimental insights.

Contribution

It introduces a waveguide-based platform for on-chip Raman spectroscopy with integrated plasmonic nanoantennas, emphasizing design optimization and potential for full chip integration.

Findings

Design parameters for efficient Raman collection identified

Proof-of-concept experiments demonstrate feasibility

Potential for integrated on-chip Raman sensors

Abstract

We review an on-chip approach for spontaneous Raman spectroscopy and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) based on evanescent excitation of the analyte as well as evanescent collection of the Raman signal using Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) compatible single mode waveguides. The signal is either directly collected from the analyte molecules or via plasmonic nanoantennas integrated on top of the waveguides. Flexibility in the design of the geometry of the waveguide, and/or the geometry of the antennas, enables optimization of the collection efficiency. Furthermore the sensor can be integrated with additional functionality (sources, detectors, spectrometers) on the same chip. In this paper, the basic theoretical concepts are introduced to identify the key design parameters and some proof-of-concept experimental results are reviewed.