Laser, Optics and Photonics

Surface Enhanced Spectroscopy

Surface-enhanced spectroscopy is a potent analytical technique that increases the sensitivity of several spectroscopic techniques by multiple orders of magnitude, including infrared and Raman spectroscopy. It entails applying a sample—typically molecules or nanoparticles—to substrates, which are roughened surfaces or specially designed nanostructures. The interaction of light with these substrates produces strong electromagnetic fields at their surface, which significantly enhance the spectroscopic signals of nearby molecules. This makes it useful in domains including chemistry, biology, and materials science for applications ranging from chemical analysis to illness diagnosis and nanomaterial characterisation. It also makes it possible to detect tiny levels of chemicals.