Detecting mid-infrared light by molecular frequency upconversion in dual-wavelength nanoantennas.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34855505.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.abk2593.
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Abstract
Coherent interconversion of signals between optical and mechanical domains is enabled by optomechanical interactions. Extreme light-matter coupling produced by confining light to nanoscale mode volumes can then access single mid-infrared (MIR) photon sensitivity. Here, we used the infrared absorption and Raman activity of molecular vibrations in plasmonic nanocavities to demonstrate frequency upconversion. We converted approximately 10-micrometer-wavelength incoming light to visible light by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) in doubly resonant antennas that enhanced upconversion by more than 10<sup>10</sup>. We showed 140% amplification of the SERS anti-Stokes emission when an MIR pump was tuned to a molecular vibrational frequency, obtaining lowest detectable powers of 1 to 10 microwatts per square micrometer at room temperature. These results have potential for low-cost and large-scale infrared detectors and spectroscopic techniques.