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A comparative analysis of plasmonic and dielectric metasurface sensing platforms powered by bound states in the continuum
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Date Issued
2025-08-28
Sprache
English
Author(s)
Bhattacharya, Angana
Barkey, Martin
Aigner, Andreas
Rohrer, Lina
Weber, Thomas
Wang, Juan
Journal
Volume
36
Issue
9
Article Number
e16021
Citation
Advanced Functional Materials 36 (9): e16021 (2025)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Nanophotonic platforms based on surface-enhanced infrared absorbance spectroscopy (SEIRAS) have emerged as an effective tool for molecular detection. Sensitive nanophotonic sensors with robust resonant modes and amplified electromagnetic near fields are essential for spectroscopy, especially in lossy environments. Metasurfaces driven by bound state in the continuum (BICs) have unlocked a powerful platform for molecular detection due to their exceptional spectral selectivity. While plasmonic BIC metasurfaces are preferred for molecular spectroscopy due to their high surface fields, enhancing the interaction with analytes, dielectric BICs have become popular due to their high-quality factors and, thus, high sensitivity. However, their sensing performance has largely been demonstrated in air, neglecting the intrinsic infrared (IR) losses found in common solvents. This study evaluates the suitability of plasmonic versus dielectric platforms for in situ molecular spectroscopy. Here, the sensing performance of plasmonic (gold) and dielectric (silicon) metasurfaces is assessed across liquid environments with varying losses resembling typical solvents. The results show that dielectric metasurfaces excel in dry conditions, while plasmonic BIC metasurfaces outperform them in lossy solvents, with a distinct crossover point where both show similar performance. The results provide a framework for selecting the optimal metasurface material platform for SEIRAS studies based on environmental conditions.
Subjects
bound states in the continuum
IR sensing
lossy environment
plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces
SEIRAS
DDC Class
600: Technology