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Presenter: Dr. Steve Blair - Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.
Supervisor:

Date: Wed, September 11, 2013
Time: 11:30:00 - 00:00:00
Place: ECS 660

ABSTRACT

Abstract:

The next generation of molecular diagnostics tools are enabled by single molecule sensitivity. Plasmonic-enhanced fluorescence can be a key enabling factor in furthering single molecule analysis. Large-scale arrays of plasmonic structures meet the requirements of enhanced signal-to-background in fluorescence detection, along with compatibility with existing instrumentation and surface chemistry. Fluorescence enhancement results from a combination of plasmonic mediated excitation and emission enhancement. I will overview the history of plasmonic apertures for single-molecule detection along with related engineering advances. For example, even though molecules are confined within a plasmonic structure, the spectral region of enhancement depends strongly on the metal. Recently, we been working with structures in Al, which is mass-production friendly and provides balanced enhancement throughout the visible spectrum, opening up a wider range of applications. Tuning of the relative enhancements can be accomplished by adjusting the shape of the plasmonic structures, opening up the UV spectral range where the native fluorescence of biomolecules can be accessed. I will show preliminary results demonstrating plasmonic-enhanced single molecule fluorescence in the UV.

Biography:

Steve Blair received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Applied Optics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, IN, in 1991 and 1993, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1998. Since 1998, he has been with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and is now a Professor. His research interests have ranged from nonlinear optics, micro-resonator slow light, and microarray technology to current activities in neural interfaces and bio-plasmonics.

For further information, contact:
Reuven Gordon (250-472-5179 rgordon@uvic.ca)