Enhancement from plasmonic-molecular coupling for mass transduction

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates plasmonic-molecular coupling in a multilayer system, enabling enhanced mass transduction sensitivity through surface plasmon polariton hybrid modes and mechanical deformation at multiple frequencies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel plasmon-mechanical resonator setup using a Kretschmann configuration for improved mass sensing capabilities.

Findings

Strong plasmonic dispersion induces mechanical deformation at multiple frequencies

The system can determine optimal experimental settings for high-resolution mass sensing

Data assessment and modeling reveal advantages and limitations of the approach

Abstract

The plasmon-mechanical resonators are frequently used in the development of sensors. Active frameworks impose mechanical motion into the lasing dynamics through the use of an optical gain and achieve better sensitivity. Here plasmon-mechanical coupling is demonstrated in a multilayer when a surface plasmon polariton/Fabry-P\'erot hybrid mode is excited in a Kretschmann configuration, while it is observed that the strong plasmonic dispersion allows the deformation of the mechanical domain at several frequencies. After a dye is adsorbed on the surface of the cavity, the layout of the optomechanics is schematized by a spring-mass oscillator mounted onto the surface of the cavity-end mirror. The system is defined by its capability to determine the experimental settings with the best resolution before a controlled experiment in which the oscillator senses a mass. The advantages and disadvantages of the procedure are presented once the data have been assessed and modeled.