Tunable apparatus for performing sers

A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system comprising:

• a tunable apparatus for performing SERS, said tunable apparatus comprising:
• a deformable substrate;
• and
• a plurality of SERS-active nanoparticles disposed at a plurality of locations on the deformable substrate, wherein the plurality of SERS-active nanoparticles are to enhance Raman scattered light emission from a molecule located in close proximity to the SERS-active nanoparticles;
• an illumination source to supply excitation light to cause Raman scattered light to be emitted from an analyte molecule;
• an actuator to deform the substrate to vary distances between the SERS-active nanoparticles, wherein varying the distances between the SERS-active nanoparticles varies enhancement of an intensity of Raman scattered light emission from the analyte molecule;
• and
• a detector positioned to detect the Raman scattered light emitted from the analyte molecule.

A method for performing surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to detect an analyte molecule using a tunable apparatus having a deformable substrate, wherein a plurality of SERS-active nanoparticles and an analyte molecule are disposed on the deformable substrate, said method comprising:

• causing Raman scattered light to be emitted from the analyte molecule, wherein the SERS-active nanoparticles enhance an intensity of the Raman scattered light emitted from the analyte molecule;
• deforming the deformable substrate to vary distances between the SERS-active nanoparticles, wherein varying distances between the SERS-active nanoparticles varies enhancement of the intensity of the Raman scattered light emitted from the analyte molecule;
• and
• detecting the Raman scattered light emitted from the analyte molecule.