Surface enhanced raman spectroscopy employing a nanorod in a surface indentation

A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system comprising:

• a nanorod within a tapered indentation in a surface of a substrate, the nanorod having a tip at a free end opposite to an end of the nanorod that is supported at a bottom of the tapered indentation;
• a Raman-active material at a surface of one or both of the nanorod and the tapered indentation, and
• a Raman signal detector to receive a Raman scattering signal emitted by an adsorbed analyte on one or both of the nanorod and the tapered indentation,
• wherein the indentation and the nanorod facilitate one or both of production and detection of the Raman scattering signal emitted by the adsorbed analyte.

A method of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), the method comprising:

• providing a nanorod in a tapered indentation in a surface of a substrate, the nanorod being supported at a bottom of the tapered indentation, one or both of a surface of the nanorod and a surface of the tapered indentation comprising a Raman-active material;
• and
• exposing an analyte adsorbed on one or both of the surface of the tapered indentation and the surface of the nanorod to an illumination signal to produce a Raman scattering signal,
• wherein the tapered indentation and the nanorod facilitate one or both of production and detection of the Raman scattering signal emitted by the adsorbed analyte.