Plasmonics, by localizing light to the sub-wavelength volumes and dramatically enhancing local fields, is enabling myriad of exciting opportunities for realization of novel photonic devices and systems. In this talk, Dr. Altug will present her group’s work on integrated nanoplasmonic systems for their applications in bio-spectroscopy and bio-detection. Dr. Altug will first introduce an ultrasensitive infrared vibrational spectroscopy technique. Infrared absorption spectroscopy is a powerful biochemical analysis tool as it extracts detailed molecular structural information in a label-free fashion. Its molecular specificity renders the technique sensitive to the subtle conformational changes exhibited by biochemical including proteins in response to a variety of stimuli. Yet, sensitivity limitations and the extremely strong absorption bands of water severely limit infrared spectroscopy in performing sensitive kinetic measurements in biomolecules’ native, aqueous environments. By engineering on-chip nano-antenna arrays, Dr. Altug will demonstrate that infrared plasmonics can enable to measure vibrational signatures and monitor in-situ activity of low quantities of molecules. This method, by enhancing the signals from proteins by more than 100,000 times, overcomes the fundamental Beer-Lambert law and opens up a new paradigm in vibrational spectroscopy. For bio-sensors operating at low analyte concentrations, relying only on diffusion to transport analytes to the device surface severely limits the sensor performance. Next, Dr. Altug will show that by uniquely merging nanophotonics and nanofluidics on the same platform, one can address this use and dramatically improve sensor response times. She will show that sub-wavelength optofluidic sensors can sensitively and reliably detect live and intact viruses in biological media at medically relevant concentrations. Finally, Dr. Altug will demonstrate high-throughput, compact and low-cost optical biosensor technologies that are promising for high-content screening applications and point-of-care diagnostics.


Thursday, November 14, 2013, 10:30. Seminar Room

Hosted by Romain Quidant