Surface enhanced Raman scattering in a hollow core microstructured optical fiber

Improvement of surface enhanced resonant Raman scattering (SERRS) signals is demonstrated by confining the scattering event to the core of a hollow core microstructured optical fiber. The analyte solution fills the entire microstructure. The pump light is guided in the liquid core and the Raman scattered signal is efficiently collected by the fiber and transmitted to the detector. Rhodamine 6G (210nM) adsorbed on silver nanoparticles in aqueous solution is used as a demonstration system and it was found that it is possible to collect usable Raman signals from the solution filled optical fiber well beyond the detection limit of an equivalent free-space system. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.