Hollow core photonic crystal fiber surface-enhanced Raman probe

The authors demonstrate a hollow core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) surface-enhanced Raman probe consisting of a HCPCF with Au nanoparticles coated on the inner surface of the air holes serving as the substrate of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The experimental results indicate that the confinement of light inside the HCPCF and the coating of nanoparticles/analyte inside the air holes of the HCPCF offer a large area for the light to interact with the SERS particles. An optimized design of the HCPCF is provided to further improve the probe sensitivity. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.