High-sensitivity molecular sensing using hollow-core photonic crystal fiber and surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A high-sensitivity molecular sensor using a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HCPCF) based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been experimentally demonstrated and theoretically analyzed. A factor of 100 in sensitivity enhancement is shown in comparison to direct sampling under the same conditions. With a silver nanoparticle colloid as the SERS substrate and Rhodamine 6G as a test molecule, the lowest detectable concentration is 10(-10) M with a liquid-core photonic crystal fiber (LCPCF) probe, and 10(-8) M for direct sampling. The high sensitivity provided by the LCPCF SERS probe is promising for molecular detection in various sensing applications. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America