瑞士洛桑联邦理工学院Hatice Altug团队通过共振量子隧穿实现了等离子体生物传感器。这一研究成果于2025年6月26日发表在《自然—光子学》杂志上。

超表面为光学传感提供了一个理想的平台，因为它们在扩展区域产生强烈的光场限制和增强，使人们能够识别有机和无机分子的深亚波长层。然而，使用外部光源的要求涉及笨重的设备，阻碍了护理点的应用。

研究组介绍了一种由量子隧道结提供的嵌入式光源的等离子体传感器。光学谐振的双周期纳米线超表面用作结的顶部接触，并在大面积上提供极其均匀的发射，通过等离子体纳米天线模式放大，同时提高光谱和折射率灵敏度。作为概念验证，研究组演示了纳米厚聚合物和生物分子涂层的空间分辨折射传感。该研究结果为集成电光生物传感器的颠覆性平台开辟了令人兴奋的前景。

附：英文原文

Title: Plasmonic biosensor enabled by resonant quantum tunnelling

Author: Lee, Jihye, Wu, Yina, Sinev, Ivan, Masharin, Mikhail, Papadopoulos, Sotirios, Dias, Eduardo J. C., Wang, Lujun, Tseng, Ming Lun, Moon, Seunghwan, Yeo, Jong-Souk, Novotny, Lukas, Garca de Abajo, F. Javier, Altug, Hatice

Issue&Volume: 2025-06-26

Abstract: Metasurfaces provide an ideal platform for optical sensing because they produce strong light-field confinement and enhancement over extended regions that allow us to identify deep-subwavelength layers of organic and inorganic molecules. However, the requirement of using external light sources involves bulky equipment that hinders point-of-care applications. Here we introduce a plasmonic sensor with an embedded source of light provided by quantum tunnel junctions. An optically resonant, doubly periodic nanowire metasurface serves as a top contact for the junction and provides extremely uniform emission over large areas, amplified by plasmonic nanoantenna modes that simultaneously enhance the spectral and refractive index sensitivity. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate spatially resolved refractometric sensing of nanometre-thick polymer and biomolecule coatings. Our results open exciting prospects based on a disruptive platform for integrated electro-optical biosensors.

DOI: 10.1038/s41566-025-01708-y

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-025-01708-y