1 research outputs found
Self-Assembled Active Plasmonic Waveguide with a Peptide-Based Thermomechanical Switch
Nanoscale plasmonic
waveguides composed of metallic nanoparticles
are capable of guiding electromagnetic energy below the optical diffraction
limit. Signal feed-in and readout typically require the utilization
of electronic effects or near-field optical techniques, whereas for
their fabrication mainly lithographic methods are employed. Here we
developed a switchable plasmonic waveguide assembled from gold nanoparticles
(AuNPs) on a DNA origami structure that facilitates a simple spectroscopic
excitation and readout. The waveguide is specifically excited at one
end by a fluorescent dye, and energy transfer is detected at the other
end <i>via</i> the fluorescence of a second dye. The transfer
distance is beyond the multicolor FRET range and below the Abbé
limit. The transmittance of the waveguide can also be reversibly switched
by changing the position of a AuNP within the waveguide, which is
tethered to the origami platform by a thermoresponsive peptide. High-yield
fabrication of the plasmonic waveguides in bulk was achieved using
silica particles as solid supports. Our findings enable bulk solution
applications for plasmonic waveguides as light-focusing and light-polarizing
elements below the diffraction limit