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Nanoaperture Fluorescence Enhancement in the Ultraviolet

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Abstract

We study fluorescence excitation and emission enhancement in the ultraviolet regime for molecules confined within sub-wavelength metal apertures. Calculations are performed across a range of excitation wavelengths for individual apertures constructed in gold, silver, and aluminum. As expected, enhancement in the ultraviolet is greatest with aluminum. Using excitation and emission wavelengths appropriate for tryptophan, we find that more than 10× net increase in fluorescence count rate should be obtainable for aluminum apertures of ~75 nm diameter. These results suggest that many applications utilizing native protein fluorescence could become practical, even to the single molecule level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Farhad Mahdavi & Steve Blair

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  1. Farhad Mahdavi
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  2. Steve Blair
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Correspondence to Steve Blair.

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Mahdavi, F., Blair, S. Nanoaperture Fluorescence Enhancement in the Ultraviolet. Plasmonics 5, 169–174 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-010-9126-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11468-010-9126-y

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