Through rational design, we compare the performance of three plasmonic antenna structures for UV fluorescence enhancement. Among the antenna performance metrics considered are the local increase in excitation intensity and the increase in quantum efficiency, the product of which represents the net fluorescence enhancement. With realistic structures in aluminum, we predict that greater than 100× net enhancement can be obtained.

© 2012 OSA

1. R. F. Chen, “Fluorescence quantum yields of tryptophan and tyrosine,” Anal. Lett.1, 35–42 (1967). [CrossRef]
2. C. R. Johnson, M. Ludwig, S. O’Donnell, and S. A. Asher, “UV resonance Raman spectroscopy of the aromatic amino acids and myoglobin,” J. Am. Chem. Soc.106, 5008–5010 (1984). [CrossRef]
3. G. D. Fasman, ed. Practical Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. CRC Press1989.
4. K. Ray, M. H. Chowdhury, and J. R. Lakowicz, “Aluminum nanostructured films as substrates for enhanced fluorescence in the ultraviolet-blue spectral region,” Anal. Chem.79, 6480–6487 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. H. Szmacinski, K. Ray, and J. R. Lakowicz, “Metal-enhanced fluorescence of tryptophan residues in proteins: Application towards label-free bioassays,” Anal. Biochem.385, 358–364 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. J. R. Lakowicz, B. Shen, Z. Gryczynski, S. D’Auria, and I. Gryczynski, “Intrinsic fluorescence from DNA can be enhanced by metallic particles,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.286, 875–879 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. J. R. Lakowicz, J. Malicka, I. Gryczynski, Z. Gryczynski, and C. D. Geddes, “Radiative decay engineering: the role of photonic mode density in biotechnology,” J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.36, R240–R249 (2003). [CrossRef]
8. K. Aslan, M. J. R. Previte, Y. Zhang, and C. D. Geddes, “Surface plasmon coupled fluorescence in the ultraviolet and visible spectral regions using zinc thin films,” Anal. Chem.80, 7304–7312 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. A. Kinkhabwala, Z. Yu, S. Fan, Y. Avlasevich, K. Müllen, and W. E. Moerner, “Large single-molecule fluorescence enhancements produced by a bowtie nanoantenna,” Nat. Photonics3, 654–657 (2009). [CrossRef]
10. A. Taguchi, N. Hayazawa, K. Furusawa, H. Ishitobi, and S. Kawata, “Deep-UV tip-enhanced raman scattering,” J. Raman Spectrosc.40, 1324–1330 (2009). [CrossRef]
11. C. C. Davis, “Fluorescence: Molecules in a tight spot,” Nat. Photonics3, 608–609 (2009). [CrossRef]
12. S. Attavar, M. Diwekar, and S. Blair, “Photoactivated capture molecule immobilization in plasmonic nanoapertures in the ultraviolet,” Lab Chip11, 841–844 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. M. T. Neves-Petersen, T. Snabe, S. Klitgaard, M. Duroux, and S. B. Petersen, “Photonic activation of disulfide bridges achieves oriented protein immobilization on biosensor surfaces,” Protein Sci.15, 343–351 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. K. Aslan and C. D. Geddes, “Directional surface plasmon coupled luminescence for analytical sensing applications: Which metal, what wavelength, what observation angle?,” Anal. Chem.81, 6913–6922 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. P. R. West, S. Ishii, G. V. Naik, N. K. Emani, V. M. Shalaev, and A. Boltasseva, “Searching for better plasmonic materials,” Laser & Photon. Rev.4, 795–808 (2010). [CrossRef]
16. S. Blair and J. Wenger, “Enhancing fluorescence with sub-wavelength metallic apertures,” in The Role of Plasmonic Engineering in Surface-Enhanced Fluorescence (C. D. Geddes, ed.) ch. 17 John Wiley & Sons2008.
17. E. M. Purcell, “Spontaneous emission probabilities at radio frequencies,” Phys. Rev.69, 681 (1946).
18. H. Aouani, O. Mahboub, N. Bonod, E. Devaux, E. Popov, H. Rigneault, T. W. Ebbesen, and J. Wenger, “Bright unidirectional fluorescence emission of molecules in a nanoaperture with plasmonic corrugations,” Nano Lett.11, 637–644 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. F. Mahdavi and S. Blair, “Nanoaperture fluorescence enhancement in the ultraviolet,” Plasmonics5, 169–174 (2010). [CrossRef]
20. E. D. Palik, “Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids,” Academic Press, London (1985)
21. L. Novotny and B. Hecht, “Principles of Nano-Optics,” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (2006). [CrossRef]
22. H. Fischer and O. J. F. Martin, “Engineering the optical response of plasmonic nanoantennas,” Opt. Express16, 9144–9154 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
23. O. Mahboub, S. C. Palacios, C. Genet, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, S. G. Rodrigo, L. Martin-Moreno, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Optimization of bull’s eye structures for transmission enhancement,” Opt. Express18, 11292–11299 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
24. M. Kuttge, F. J. G. de Abajo, and A. Polman, “How grooves reflect and confine surface plasmon polaritons,” Opt. Express17, 10385–10392 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
25. S. Carretero-Palacios, O. Mahboub, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, L. Martin-Moreno, S. G. Rodrigo, C. Genet, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Mechanisms for extraordinary optical transmission through bull’s eye structures,” Opt. Express19, 10429–10442 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
26. H. J. Lezec, A. Degiron, E. Devaux, R. A. Linke, L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. Garvia-Vidal, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Beaming light from a subwavelength aperture,” Science297, 820–822 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Anal. Biochem.

• H. Szmacinski, K. Ray, and J. R. Lakowicz, “Metal-enhanced fluorescence of tryptophan residues in proteins: Application towards label-free bioassays,” Anal. Biochem.385, 358–364 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Anal. Chem.

• K. Aslan, M. J. R. Previte, Y. Zhang, and C. D. Geddes, “Surface plasmon coupled fluorescence in the ultraviolet and visible spectral regions using zinc thin films,” Anal. Chem.80, 7304–7312 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Aslan and C. D. Geddes, “Directional surface plasmon coupled luminescence for analytical sensing applications: Which metal, what wavelength, what observation angle?,” Anal. Chem.81, 6913–6922 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Ray, M. H. Chowdhury, and J. R. Lakowicz, “Aluminum nanostructured films as substrates for enhanced fluorescence in the ultraviolet-blue spectral region,” Anal. Chem.79, 6480–6487 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Anal. Lett.

• R. F. Chen, “Fluorescence quantum yields of tryptophan and tyrosine,” Anal. Lett.1, 35–42 (1967). [CrossRef]

Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.

• J. R. Lakowicz, B. Shen, Z. Gryczynski, S. D’Auria, and I. Gryczynski, “Intrinsic fluorescence from DNA can be enhanced by metallic particles,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.286, 875–879 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Am. Chem. Soc.

• C. R. Johnson, M. Ludwig, S. O’Donnell, and S. A. Asher, “UV resonance Raman spectroscopy of the aromatic amino acids and myoglobin,” J. Am. Chem. Soc.106, 5008–5010 (1984). [CrossRef]

J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.

• J. R. Lakowicz, J. Malicka, I. Gryczynski, Z. Gryczynski, and C. D. Geddes, “Radiative decay engineering: the role of photonic mode density in biotechnology,” J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.36, R240–R249 (2003). [CrossRef]

J. Raman Spectrosc.

• A. Taguchi, N. Hayazawa, K. Furusawa, H. Ishitobi, and S. Kawata, “Deep-UV tip-enhanced raman scattering,” J. Raman Spectrosc.40, 1324–1330 (2009). [CrossRef]

Lab Chip

• S. Attavar, M. Diwekar, and S. Blair, “Photoactivated capture molecule immobilization in plasmonic nanoapertures in the ultraviolet,” Lab Chip11, 841–844 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Laser & Photon. Rev.

• P. R. West, S. Ishii, G. V. Naik, N. K. Emani, V. M. Shalaev, and A. Boltasseva, “Searching for better plasmonic materials,” Laser & Photon. Rev.4, 795–808 (2010). [CrossRef]

Nano Lett.

• H. Aouani, O. Mahboub, N. Bonod, E. Devaux, E. Popov, H. Rigneault, T. W. Ebbesen, and J. Wenger, “Bright unidirectional fluorescence emission of molecules in a nanoaperture with plasmonic corrugations,” Nano Lett.11, 637–644 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nat. Photonics

• C. C. Davis, “Fluorescence: Molecules in a tight spot,” Nat. Photonics3, 608–609 (2009). [CrossRef]
• A. Kinkhabwala, Z. Yu, S. Fan, Y. Avlasevich, K. Müllen, and W. E. Moerner, “Large single-molecule fluorescence enhancements produced by a bowtie nanoantenna,” Nat. Photonics3, 654–657 (2009). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• H. Fischer and O. J. F. Martin, “Engineering the optical response of plasmonic nanoantennas,” Opt. Express16, 9144–9154 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• O. Mahboub, S. C. Palacios, C. Genet, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, S. G. Rodrigo, L. Martin-Moreno, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Optimization of bull’s eye structures for transmission enhancement,” Opt. Express18, 11292–11299 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Kuttge, F. J. G. de Abajo, and A. Polman, “How grooves reflect and confine surface plasmon polaritons,” Opt. Express17, 10385–10392 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Carretero-Palacios, O. Mahboub, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, L. Martin-Moreno, S. G. Rodrigo, C. Genet, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Mechanisms for extraordinary optical transmission through bull’s eye structures,” Opt. Express19, 10429–10442 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev.

• E. M. Purcell, “Spontaneous emission probabilities at radio frequencies,” Phys. Rev.69, 681 (1946).

Plasmonics

• F. Mahdavi and S. Blair, “Nanoaperture fluorescence enhancement in the ultraviolet,” Plasmonics5, 169–174 (2010). [CrossRef]

Protein Sci.

• M. T. Neves-Petersen, T. Snabe, S. Klitgaard, M. Duroux, and S. B. Petersen, “Photonic activation of disulfide bridges achieves oriented protein immobilization on biosensor surfaces,” Protein Sci.15, 343–351 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• H. J. Lezec, A. Degiron, E. Devaux, R. A. Linke, L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. Garvia-Vidal, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Beaming light from a subwavelength aperture,” Science297, 820–822 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• S. Blair and J. Wenger, “Enhancing fluorescence with sub-wavelength metallic apertures,” in The Role of Plasmonic Engineering in Surface-Enhanced Fluorescence (C. D. Geddes, ed.) ch. 17 John Wiley & Sons2008.
• E. D. Palik, “Handbook of Optical Constants of Solids,” Academic Press, London (1985)
• L. Novotny and B. Hecht, “Principles of Nano-Optics,” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, (2006). [CrossRef]
• G. D. Fasman, ed. Practical Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. CRC Press1989.

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