Reproducible Ultrahigh SERS Enhancement in Single Deterministic Hotspots Using Nanosphere-Plane Antennas Under Radially Polarized Excitation.

ABSTRACT: Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in a nanometer size hotspot has empowered the investigation of chemical structures and dynamic behaviors of one and a few molecules. However, further advancement is hindered by lack of large enough yet reproducible enhancement in single deterministic hotspots. To resolve this problem, here we introduce a nanosphere-plane antenna under radially polarized laser excitation experiment, which provides an electromagnetic enhancement of 10(9~10) at the gap of each individual nanosphere-plane antenna and a root-mean-square error down to 10(0.08) between them. The experiment also reveals a nonlinear SERS behavior with less than one plasmon, which is also observed within a single hotspot. The unprecedented simultaneous achievement of ultrahigh enhancement and

SUBMITTER: Long J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5020428 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature