Fabrication of Plasmonic Devices for Label-free High-resolution Spectroscopic Imaging of Biological Samples

Principal Investigator
Gobind Das
Department
Physics
Focus Area
Physics
Fabrication of Plasmonic Devices for Label-free High-resolution Spectroscopic Imaging of Biological Samples

The manipulation of localized electromagnetic radiation through plasmonic device in combination with Raman spectroscopy provides the possibility to investigate the biological materials (proteins, DNA, and biological cells) efficiently. This project aims to design and fabricate the planar and nanoCone-based biomedical devices to unveil molecular mechanism of biological samples in their physiological medium through different spectroscopy techniques. This will allow to innovate the fabrication of next-generation sensors eventually using the nanofabrication tools for high sensitive (down to femtomolar (10-15 M) concentration) and sub-diffraction spatial resolution (SdSR) imaging  (< λ/10 ). 

The project will be in three stages:

    1.  Design and fabrication of plasmonic devices (planar and 3D nanoCones devices)
    2.  Functioning of device with their plasmonic properties
    3.  Applications to biological materials

The physical phenomenon that is playing role at the base of the proposed research is the generation of surface plasmons when light interacts with the metal surface. The design and fabrication of plasmonic devices to analyze the biomolecules with the concentration down to fM sensitivity. Furthermore, astonishing spatial resolution imaging with chemical information through Raman spectroscopy will be carried out to understand the cell functioning at molecular level.

Fabrication of Plasmonic Devices for Label-free High-resolution Spectroscopic Imaging of Biological Samples