Terahertz particle-in-liquid sensing with spoof surface plasmon polariton waveguides
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Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
We present a highly sensitive microfluidic sensing technique for the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs). By integrating a microfluidic channel in a spoof SPP waveguide, we take advantage of these highly confined electromagnetic modes to create a platform for dielectric sensing of liquids. Our design consists of a domino waveguide, that is, a series of periodically arranged rectangular metal blocks on top of a metal surface that supports the propagation of spoof SPPs. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the transmission of spoof SPPs along the waveguide is extremely sensitive to the refractive index of a liquid flowing through a microfluidic channel crossing the waveguide to give an interaction volume on the nanoliter scale. Furthermore, by taking advantage of the insensitivity of the domino waveguide’s fundamental spoof SPP mode to the lateral width of the metal blocks, we design a tapered waveguide able to achieve further confinement of the electromagnetic field. Using this approach, we demonstrate the highly sensitive detection of individual subwavelength micro-particles flowing in the liquid. These results are promising for the creation of spoof SPP based THz lab-on-a-chip microfluidic devices that are suitable for the analysis of biological liquids such as proteins and circulating tumour cells in buffer solution.
Date Issued
2017-11-01
Date Acceptance
2017-10-08
Citation
APL Photonics, 2017, 2 (11)
ISSN
2378-0967
Publisher
AIP Publishing LLC
Journal / Book Title
APL Photonics
Volume
2
Issue
11
Copyright Statement
© 2017 The Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000416826700003&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
EP/M001121/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Optics
Physics, Applied
Physics
BROAD-BAND
METAMATERIALS
TRANSMISSION
CONFINEMENT
ULTRATHIN
ABSORBER
MODES
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
116102
Date Publish Online
2017-10-26