Single-molecule
detection by surface-enhanced Raman scattering
(SERS) is a powerful spectroscopic technique that is of interest for
the sensor development field. An important aspect of optimizing the
materials used in SERS-based sensors is the ability to have a high
density of “hot spots” that enhance the SERS sensitivity
to the single-molecule level. Photodeposition of gold (Au) nanoparticles
through electric-field-directed self-assembly on a periodically proton-exchanged
lithium niobate (PPELN) substrate provides conditions to form well-ordered
microscale features consisting of closely packed Au nanoparticles.
The resulting Au nanoparticle microstructure arrays (microarrays)
are plasmon-active and support nonresonant single-molecule SERS at
ultralow concentrations (<10
–9
–10
–13
M) with excitation power densities <1 ×
10
–3
W cm
–2
using wide-field imaging.
The microarrays offer excellent SERS reproducibility, with an intensity
variation of <7.5% across the substrate. As most biomarkers and
molecules do not support resonance enhancement, this work demonstrates
that PPELN is a suitable template for high-sensitivity, nonresonant
sensing applications.