title: Metal-Dielectric Waveguides for High Efficiency Fluorescence Imaging.
abstract: We demonstrate that Metal-Dielectric Waveguide structures (MDWs) with high efficiency of fluorescence coupling can be suitable as substrates for fluorescence imaging. This hybrid MDWs consists of a continuous metal film and a dielectric top layer. The optical modes sustaining inside this structure can be excited with a high numerical aperture (N.A) objective, and then focused into a virtual optical probe with high intensity, leading to efficient excitation of fluorophores deposited on top of the MDWs. The emitted fluorophores couple with the optical modes thus enabling the directional emission, which is verified by the back focal plane (BFP) imaging. These unique properties of MDWs have been adopted in a scanning laser confocal optical microscopy, and show the merit of high efficiency fluorescence imaging. MDWs can be easily fabricated by vapor deposition and/or spin coating, the silica surface of the MDWs is suitable for biomolecule tethering, and will offer new opportunities for cell biology and biophysics research.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics, Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
authors.forename: Liangfu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics, Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
authors.forename: Douguo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics, Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
authors.forename: Ruxue
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics, Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics, Department of Optics and Optical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.affiliation: Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 West Lombard St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.
authors.forename: Ramachandram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badugu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Micro & Nano Optics, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
authors.forename: Luping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Institute of Micro & Nano Optics, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
authors.forename: Xiaocong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Center for Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 West Lombard St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lakowicz