CAREER: Reference Compensation for Localized Surface-Plasmon Resonance Sensors

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ECCS-0747810Jeffrey Hastings, University of KentuckyIntellectual Merits: Certain metals, including silver and gold, exhibit dramatically altered optical properties when formed into nanostructures. Under specific conditions, referred to as localized surface-plasmon resonances (LSPR), light can be highly concentrated around the nanostructure and strongly absorbed. The wavelength at which this phenomenon occurs is highly sensitive to the local environment; as a result, such structures allow biological and chemical sensing in incredibly small volumes. This research effort addresses the two major challenges preventing LSPR sensors from being widely adopted for environmental monitoring, food safety, point-of-delivery medical care, and defense and security applications. (1) Currently, it is difficult to detect a target chemical in the presence of interfering effects such as solution refractive index changes and non-specific interactions between the nanostructure and other components in solutions. By engineering the size, shape, and material of the nanostructures to support multiple surface-plasmon resonances, the research team will be able to distinguish the presence of a target chemical from these interfering effects. (2) By understanding how to effectively interrogate these sensors using integrated optical chips, the team will lay the foundation for highly manufacturable high-density sensor arrays and for in-vivo applications. Broader Impacts: This research effort will have broad impact by developing a sensor platform that will better serve society's needs in drug discovery, medical diagnosis, food quality assurance, and bio-chemical defense. From an educational perspective, the project provides undergraduate and graduate training in an inherently interdisciplinary field by incorporating aspects of electromagnetics, micro- and nano- scale fabrication, chemical sensing, and signal processing. The project also contributes to the educational infrastructure required to attract and train future engineers through the development of an interdisciplinary NanoPhotonics course, further development of the University of Kentucky's Nanoscale Engineering Certificate Program (NECP), and enhancement of outreach efforts to underrepresented Appalachian students.