Dynamic plasmonics-enabled signal enhancement, a device comprising the same, and a method using the same

A device, comprising:

• a light source;
• a plasmonics platform for receiving biomolecules whose structures are desired to be known, wherein the plasmonics platform comprises:
• a substrate;
• a plurality of periodically spaced nanoholes and/or nanoparticles disposed upon the substrate, wherein an average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles is about 5 to about 1,000 nanometers;
• and
• a microelectromechanical and/or a nanoelectromechanical system in operative communication with the substrate for varying the average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles;
• and
• a detector for receiving fluorescence generated by the biomolecules.

A method, comprising:

• disposing an unknown specimen on a plasmonics platform, wherein the plasmonics platform comprises:
• a substrate;
• a plurality of periodically spaced nanoholes and/or nanoparticles disposed upon the substrate;
• wherein an average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles is about 5 to about 1,000 nanometers;
• and
• a microelectromechanical and/or a nanoelectromechanical system in operative communication with the substrate for varying the average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles;
• illuminating the plasmonics platform with a source light;
• tuning the plasmonics platform by adjusting the average first order of periodicity between the nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles using the microelectromechanical and/or a nano electromechanical system;
• producing surface plasmon resonance in the periodically spaced nanoholes and/or the nanoparticles disposed upon the substrate;
• and
• producing fluorescence in the unknown specimen disposed upon the plasmonics platform.