Review on the terahertz metasensor: from featureless refractive index sensing to molecular identification

Abstract

The terahertz (THz) wave is at the intersection between photonics and electronics in the electromagnetic spectrum. Since the vibration mode of many biomedical molecules and the weak interaction mode inside the molecules fall in the THz regime, utilizing THz radiation as a signal source to operate substance information sensing has its unique advantages. Recently, the metamaterial sensor (metasensor) has greatly enhanced the interaction between signal and substances and spectral selectivity on the subwavelength scale. However, most past review articles have demonstrated the THz metasensor in terms of their structures, applications, or materials. Until recently, with the rapid development of metasensing technologies, the molecular information has paid much more attention to the platform of THz metasensors. In this review, we comprehensively introduce the THz metasensor for detecting not only the featureless refractive index but also the vibrational/chiral molecular information of analytes. The objectives of this review are to improve metasensing specificity either by chemical material-assisted analyte capture or by physical molecular information. Later, to boost THz absorption features in a certain frequency, the resonant responses of metasensors can be tuned to the molecular vibrational modes of target molecules, while frequency multiplexing techniques are reviewed to enhance broadband THz spectroscopic fingerprints. The chiral metasensors are also summarized to specific identification chiral molecules. Finally, the potential prospects of next generation THz metasensors are discussed. Compared to featureless refractive index metasensing, the specific metasensor platforms accelerated by material modification and molecular information will lead to greater impact in the advancement of trace detection of conformational dynamics of biomolecules in practical applications.

RETRACTED: Impact of High-Frequency Traveling-Wave Magnetic Fields on Low-Conductivity Liquids: Investigation and Potential Applications in the Chemical Industry

“…Considerations have also examined the sedimentation process in ferrofluids, utilized fluorophore molecules for dual-channel fluorescence chemo sensing, and employed MOFs as probes for water content measurement. Additionally, research has explored terahertz meta sensors for refractive index sensing and molecular identification, proposed linear free energy relationships for predicting partition coefficients in organic compounds, and studied the properties of conductive concrete mixed with nano graphite and magnetite sand [48][49][50][51].…”

Revealing the Structural, Elastic, Electronic, and Optical Properties of K2ScCuCl6 and K2YCuCl6: An In-Depth Exploration Using Density Functional Theory

“…DOS calculation provides a detailed analysis of electronic properties, confirming and understanding the band gap. It characterizes energy state distribution and reveals the nature of the band gap, aiding in understanding electronic behavior. , The Fermi energy ( E F ) represents the boundary between the valence and conduction bands, with the valence band containing occupied low-energy levels and the conduction band consisting of unoccupied levels above E F .…”

Appraisal of reservoir quality for hydrocarbon-bearing deep-water Miocene sandstones incised valley, south-east Asian offshore Indus: An application of seismic attributes and instantaneous spectral porosity quantitative reservoir simulations

“…The integration of seismic amplitude attributes, geophysical well logs, and inverted porosity modelling tools have revolutionized the exploration of complex depositional systems [ 13 , 52 , 53 , [66] , [67] , [68] , [69] , [70] , [71] , [72] , [73] , [74] , [75] , [76] , [77] , [78] , [79] , [80] ]. There is a variety of characteristics that have been routinely applied aimed at quantitatively and qualitatively characterizing oil and gas plays.…”