Label-free detection of single nanoparticles with disordered nanoisland surface plasmon sensor

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel label-free method for detecting single nanoparticles using disordered nanoisland surface plasmon sensors, leveraging speckle pattern analysis to identify individual particle adhesion events.

Contribution

The study introduces a new disordered nanoisland surface plasmon sensor that detects single nanoparticles via speckle pattern decorrelation, offering a label-free and highly sensitive detection technique.

Findings

Successful detection of individual gold nanoparticles and polystyrene beads.

Speckle pattern decorrelation correlates with nanoparticle sorption events.

Verification through bright-field and fluorescence imaging confirms detection accuracy.

Abstract

We report sensing of single nanoparticles using disordered metallic nanoisland substrates supporting surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). Speckle patterns arising from leakage radiation of elastically scattered SPPs provides a unique fingerprint of the scattering microstructure at the sensor surface. Experimental measurements of the speckle decorrelation are presented and shown to enable detection of sorption of individual gold nanoparticles and polystyrene beads. Our approach is verified through bright-field and fluorescence imaging of particles adhering to the nanoisland substrate.