Plasmonic enhancement of fluorescence for sensor applications

In this work we report on the so-called plasmonic enhancement effect, whereby the presence of metallic surfaces or particles in the vicinity of a fluorophore can dramatically alter the fluorescence emission and absorption properties of a fluorophore. The effect, which is associated with the surface plasmon resonance of the metallic surface, depends on parameters such as metal type, particle size, fluorophore type, and fluorophore-particle separation. This work focuses on the creation of metal nanoparticle arrays by a lithographic process and on optimisation strategies to maximise the fluorescence enhancement of dyes in the vicinity of the nanoparticles, for important applications such as fluorescence-based biochip platforms.