Asymmetric split ring resonators for optical sensing of organic materials

Asymmetric Split Ring Resonators are known to exhibit resonant modes where the optical electric field is strongest near the ends of the arms, thereby increasing the sensitivity of spectral techniques such as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). By producing asymmetry in the structures, the two arms of the ring produce distinct plasmonic resonances related to their lengths - but are also affected by the presence of the other arm. This combination leads to a steepening of the slope of the reflection spectrum between the resonances that increases the sensitivity of the resonant behavior to the addition of different molecular species. We describe experimental results, supported by simulation, on the resonances of a series of circular split ring resonators with different gap and section lengths - at wavelengths in the mid-infra red regions of the spectrum - and their utilization for highly sensitive detection of organic compounds. We have used thin films of PMMA with different thicknesses, resulting in characteristic shifts from the original resonance. We also demonstrate matching of asymmetric split ring resonators to a molecular resonance of PMMA. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America