Recently, reasonable spectral simulations of the experimental low-temperature absorption and circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a protein from Prosthecochloris aestuarii were produced for the unaggregated protein trimer based on standard assumptions regarding Q y transition moment directions. We report here significant improvements of these simulations, obtained by computer search of unknown parameters including the site wavelengths of the individual BChl and exciton-transition line widths. Absorption and CD spectra are fit with a common set of search parameter values. As before, calculated exciton-transition wavelengths and line widths also compare favorably with values deduced from laser hole-burning experiments. However, the improved simulations are only obtained when comparison is made to 77 K data obtained with a cryosolvent containing glycerol but not glycerophosphate. Simulations of 77 K data obtained with a mixture of glycerol and glycerophosphate are poorer than those recently reported. (The latter are based on 5 K absorption and 77 K CD data, with transition line widths independently selected for each simulation.) Computer tests of the search routine demonstrate that these results are independent of the routine itself. A possible explanation is that the glycerophosphate-containing cryosolvent perturbs the protein structure enough to alter slightly the inter-BChl geometry.

We have investigated numerically the narrowband absorption property of a metal-dielectric-metal based structure which includes a top metallic nanoring arrays, a metal backed plate, and a middle dielectric spacer. Its absorption is up to 90% with linewidth narrower than 10 nm. This can be explained in terms of surface lattice resonance of the periodic structure. The spectrum with the sharp absorption dip, i.e. the lattice resonance, strongly depends on the refractive index of media surrounding the nanorings. This feature can be explored to devise a refractive index sensor, of which the bulk sensitivity factor is one order larger than that based on gap resonance mode, while the surface sensitivity factor can be two times larger. The proposed narrowband absorber has potential in applications of plasmonic biosensors.

We propose an ultranarrow bandwidth perfect infrared absorber consisting of a metal periodic structured surface with nanoslits, a spacer dielectric, and a metal back plate. Its bandwidth and aborption are respectively about 8 nm and 95%. The thickness of the nanobars and the spacer, and the width of the nanoslits are primary factors determining the absorption performance. This structure not only has narrow bandwidth but also can obtain the giant electric field enhancement in the tiny volume of the nanoslits. Operated as a refractive index sensor, this structure has figure of merit as high as 25. It has potential in biomedical and sensing applications.

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