ABSTRACT
We demonstrate surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy using 1-dimensional highly doped semiconductors based on Si-doped InAsSb plasmonic nano-antennas. Engineering the plasmonic array to support the localized surface plasmon resonance aligned with the molecular vibrational absorption mode of interest involves finely setting the doping level and nano-antenna width. Heavily doped nano-antennas require a wider size compared to lightly doped resonators. Increasing the doping level, and consequently the width of the nano-antenna, enhances the vibrational absorption of a ~15 nm thick organic layer up to 2 orders of magnitude compared to the unstructured sample and therefore improves sensing. These results pave the way towards molecule fingerprint sensor manufacturing by tailoring the plasmonic resonators to get a maximum surface enhanced infrared absorption at the target vibrational mode.
ABSTRACT
We report a detailed analysis of the influence of the doping level and nanoribbon width on the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) by means of reflectance measurements. The plasmonic system, based on one-dimensional periodic gratings of highly Si-doped InAsSb/GaSb semiconductor nanostructures, is fabricated by a simple, accurate and large-area technique fabrication. Increasing the doping level blueshifts the resonance peak while increasing the ribbon width results in a redshift, as confirmed by numerical simulations. This provides an efficient means of fine-tuning the LSPR properties to a target purpose of between 8-20 µm (1250-500 cm(-1)). Finally, we show surface plasmon resonance sensing to absorbing polymer layers. We address values of the quality factor, sensitivity and figure of merit of 16 700 nm RIU(-1) and 2.5, respectively. These results demonstrate Si-doped InAsSb/GaSb to be a low-loss/high sensitive material making it very promising for the development of biosensing devices in the mid-infrared.
ABSTRACT
A detailed analysis of the impact of illumination on the electrical response of In0.5Ga0.5As surface nanostructures is carried out as a function of different relative humidity conditions. The importance of the surface-to-volume ratio for sensing applications is once more highlighted. From dark-to-photo conditions, the sheet resistance (SR) of a three-dimensional In0.5Ga0.5As nanostructure decays two orders of magnitude compared with that of a two-dimensional nanostructure. The electrical response is found to be vulnerable to the energy of the incident light and the external conditions. Illuminating with high energy light translates into an SR reduction of one order of magnitude under humid atmospheres, whereas it remains nearly unchanged under dry environments. Conversely, lighting with energy below the bulk energy bandgap, shows a negligible effect on the electrical properties regardless the local moisture. Both illumination and humidity are therefore needed for sensing. Photoexcited carriers can only contribute to conductivity if surface states are inactive due to water physisorption. The strong dependence of the electrical response on the environment makes these nanostructures very suitable for the development of highly sensitive and efficient sensing devices.
ABSTRACT
The impact of the environment on the electrical properties of uncapped In0.5Ga0.5As nanostructures is studied as a function of different atmospheres for sensing applications. Electrical response from surface quantum dots (QD) shows a strong dependence on the atmosphere, in contrast to the response of 2D nanostructures. The sheet resistance drops by 99% from vacuum to air, and decreases more than one order of magnitude when relative humidity changes from 0 to 70%. The adsorption of water molecules onto the QD surface improves the conductivity likely by reducing the density of surface states acting as carrier traps, which enhances electron transport.
