Ultra-sensitive surface absorption spectroscopy using sub-wavelength diameter optical fibers.
The guided modes of sub-wavelength diameter air-clad optical fibers exhibit a pronounced evanescent field. The absorption of particles on the fiber surface is therefore readily detected via the fiber transmission. We show that the resulting absorption for a given surface coverage can be orders of magnitude higher than for conventional surface spectroscopy. As a demonstration, we present measurements on sub-monolayers of 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) molecules at ambient conditions, revealing the agglomeration dynamics on a second to minutes timescale.
Warken
F
F
Vetsch
E
E
Meschede
D
D
Sokolowski
M
M
Rauschenbeutel
A
A