Long range surface plasmon resonance and enhanced fluorescence near the ultra-violet vacuum cutoff limit

Abstract

Reported is the observation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), long range SPR and surface plasmon enhanced fluorescence at 204 nm, close to the vacuum cut-off limit. The development of deep ultra-violet plasmonics is challenging as it requires alternative materials and design considerations compared to traditional visible devices. However, it offers inherent advantages, including improved sensitivity to local refractive index changes and applicability to bio-sensing. In this wavelength region the amplified near fields enhance the absorption and fluorescence of electronic transitions. In particular, this is demonstrated by the measurement of intrinsic fluorescence from low concentration organic impurities in reagent grade water.