Hybrid Metal-Dielectric Metasurfaces for Refractive Index Sensing.

Ray, Debdatta; Raziman, T V; Santschi, Christian; Etezadi, Dordaneh; Altug, Hatice; Martin, Olivier J F · Nano Lett · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Hybrid metal-dielectric nanostructures have recently gained prominence because they combine strong field enhancement of plasmonic metals and the several low-loss radiation channels of dielectric resonators, which are qualities pertaining to the best of both worlds. In this work, an array of such hybrid nanoantennas is successfully fabricated over a large area and utilized for bulk refractive index sensing with a sensitivity of 208 nm/RIU. Each nanoantenna combines a Si cylinder with an Al disk, separated by a SiO<sub>2</sub> spacer. Its optical response is analyzed in detail using the multipoles supported by its subparts and their mutual coupling. The nanoantenna is further modified experimentally with an undercut in the SiO<sub>2</sub> region to increase the interaction of the electric field with the background medium, which augments the sensitivity to 245 nm/RIU. A detailed multipole analysis of the hybrid nanoantenna supports our experimental findings.