Optical fiber surface enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsZhiyong Li, Min Hu, Wei Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe apparatus and a method of SERS probing employ Raman-active surfaces of a plurality of nanoscale field concentrator (NFC) structures at a terminal end of an optical fiber. The SERS probe apparatus includes an optical fiber having an optical path and a terminal end that terminates the optical path. The SERS probe apparatus further includes a plurality of NFC structures and nanoparticles on surfaces of the plurality of NFC structures. First ends of the NFC structures are adjacent to the terminal end of optical fiber. The nanoparticles are Raman active to an analyte.
Claims15
A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe apparatus comprising:
- a single optical fiber having an optical path and a terminal end that terminates the optical path;
- a plurality of nanoscale field concentrator (NFC) structures at the terminal end of the single optical fiber, first ends of all of the NFC structures of the plurality being adjacent to the terminal end of the single optical fiber;
- and
- nanoparticles on surfaces of of each of the NFC structures, the nanoparticles being Raman-active to an analyte.
A surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probe system comprising:
- a plurality of nanoscale field concentrator (NFC) structures, the plurality of NFC structures being adjacent to a terminal end of a single optical fiber, the terminal end intersecting an optical path of the single optical fiber,
- metal nanoparticles on surfaces of each NFC structure of the plurality;
- and
- an illumination source to illuminate the metal nanoparticles.
A method of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) probing, the method comprising:
- exposing surfaces of a plurality of nanoscale field concentrator (NFC) structures to an analyte, the surfaces being coated with nanoparticles, the plurality of NFC structures being adjacent to a terminal end of a same optical fiber, the terminal end intersecting an optical path of the optical fiber;
- illuminating the surfaces exposed to the analyte with an illumination signal to induce surface enhanced Raman scattering from the analyte, the surface enhanced Raman scattering producing a Raman scattered signal;
- and
- intercepting and guiding a portion of the Raman scattered signal using the same optical fiber, the intercepted and guided portion of the Raman scattered signal being conducted away from the terminal end of the optical fiber within an optical path of the same optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.