Multipitched Diffraction Gratings for Surface Plasmon Resonance-Enhanced Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy.

We demonstrate the application of metal-coated diffraction gratings possessing multiple simultaneous pitch values for surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy. SEIRA increases the magnitude of vibrational signals in infrared measurements by one of several mechanisms, most frequently involving the enhanced electric field associated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR). While the majority of SEIRA applications to date have employed nanoparticle-based plasmonic systems, recent advances have shown how various metals and structures lead to similar signal enhancement.

Epitaxially grown collagen fibrils reveal diversity in contact guidance behavior among cancer cells.

Invasion of cancer cells into the surrounding tissue is an important step during cancer progression and is driven by cell migration. Cell migration can be random, but often it is directed by various cues such as aligned fibers composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), a process called contact guidance. During contact guidance, aligned fibers bias migration along the long axis of the fibers.

Angle-tunable enhanced infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy via grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance.

Surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy is an attractive method for increasing the prominence of vibrational modes in infrared spectroscopy. To date, the majority of reports associated with SEIRA utilize localized surface plasmon resonance from metal nanoparticles to enhance electromagnetic fields in the region of analytes. Limited work has been performed using propagating surface plasmons as a method for SEIRA excitation.

Resonance quenching and guided modes arising from the coupling of surface plasmons with a molecular resonance.

In this paper, we describe experimental and modeling results that illucidate the nature of coupling between surface plasmon polaritons in a thin silver film with the molecular resonance of a zinc phthalocyanine dye film. This coupling leads to several phenomena not generally observed when plasmons are coupled to transparent materials. The increased absorption coefficient near a molecular resonance leads to a discontinuity in the refractive index, which causes branching of the plasmon resonance condition and the appearance of two peaks in the p-polarized reflectance spectrum.

Diffraction-based tracking of surface plasmon resonance enhanced transmission through a gold-coated grating.

Surface plasmon resonance enhanced transmission through metal-coated nanostructures represents a highly sensitive yet simple method for quantitative measurement of surface processes and is particularly useful in the development of thin film and adsorption sensors. Diffraction-induced surface plasmon excitation can produce enhanced transmission at select regions of the visible spectrum, and wavelength shifts associated with these transmission peaks can be used to track adsorption processes and film formation. In this report, we describe a simple optical microscope-based method for monitoring the first-order diffracted peaks associated with enhanced transmission through a gold-coated diffraction grating.