Fluorophore Coupling to Internal Modes of Bragg Gratings

Multilayer structures with two dielectrics having different optical constants and no structural features in the x−y plane can display photonic band gaps (PBGs) and are called one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs). If the top layer thickness is carefully selected, the electromagnetic energy can be trapped at the top surface. These highly enhanced fields are called Bloch surface waves (BSWs). The BSW resonance angles are sensitive to the dielectric constant above the top dielectric layer. As a result, BSW structures have been used for surface plasmon resonance-like measurements without the use of a metal film. However, the emphasis on surface-localized BSWs has resulted in limited interest in fluorophore interactions with other optical modes of 1DPCs or Bragg gratings without the different thickness top layer. Herein, three different fluorescent probes were used to cover the short, center, and long wavelengths of the PBG. We demonstrate efficient coupling of fluorophores to both the BSW and internal modes (IMs) of a 1DPC. Coupling to the IM is expected to be low because of the micron-scale distances between the fluorophores and IM, which exists inside the Bragg gratings. At different wavelengths or observation angles, the IM-coupled emission (IMCE) can occur with the first three modes of the multilayer. This coupling is not dependent on a BSW mode. IMCE was also observed for a monolayer of fluorophore-labeled protein. IMCE enables sensitive detection of surface-bound fluorophores. Applications are anticipated in high sensitivity detection and super-resolution imaging

Extending the Propagation Distance of a Silver Nanowire Plasmonic Waveguide with a Dielectric Multilayer Substrate

Chemical synthesized silver nanowires have been proved to be the efficient architecture for Plasmonic waveguides, but the high propagation loss prevents their widely applications. Here, we demonstrate that the propagation distance of the plasmons along the Ag NW can be extended if the Ag NW was placed on a dielectric multilayer substrate containing a photonic band gap, but not placed on a commonly used glass substrate. The propagation distance at 630 nm wavelength can reach 16 um even that the Ag NW is as thin as 90 nm in diameter. Experimental and simulation results further show that the polarization of this propagating plasmon mode was nearly parallel to the surface of the dielectric multilayer, so it was excited by a transverse-electric polarized Bloch surface wave propagating along a polymer nanowire with diameter at only about 170 nm on the same dielectric multilayer. Numerical simulations were also carried out and consistent with the experiment results. Our work provides a platform to extend the propagation distance of plasmonic waveguide and also for the integration between photonic and plasmonic waveguides on the nanometre scale.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Diffraction-Free Bloch Surface Waves

In this letter, we demonstrate a novel diffraction-free Bloch surface wave (DF-BSW) sustained on all-dielectric multilayers that does not diffract after being passed through three obstacles or across a single mode fiber. It can propagate in a straight line for distances longer than 110 {\mu}m at a wavelength of 633 nm and could be applied as an in-plane optical virtual probe, both in air and in an aqueous environment. The ability to be used in water, its long diffraction-free distance, and its tolerance to multiple obstacles make this DF-BSW ideal for certain applications in areas such as the biological sciences, where many measurements are made on glass surfaces or for which an aqueous environment is required, and for high-speed interconnections between chips, where low loss is necessary. Specifically, the DF-BSW on the dielectric multilayer can be used to develop novel flow cytometry that is based on the surface wave, but not the free space beam, to detect the surface-bound targets

Boronic acid fluorescent sensors for monosaccharide signaling based on the 6-methoxyquinolinium heterocyclic nucleus: progress toward noninvasive and continuous glucose monitoring

Abstract-The synthesis, characterization, and spectral properties of strategically designed boronic acid containing fluorescent sensors, o-, m-, p-BMOQBA, for the potential detection of tear glucose concentrations when immobilized in plastic disposable contact lenses is described. The new probes, BMOQBAs, consist of the 6-methoxyquinolinium nucleus as a fluorescent indicator, and the boronic acid moiety as a glucose chelating group. A control compound BMOQ, which has no boronic acid group and therefore does not bind monosaccharides has also been prepared. In this paper, we show that structural design considerations of the new probes have afforded for their compatibility within the lenses, with reduced probe sugar-bound pK a favorable with the mildly acidic lens environment. In addition, the new probes are readily water soluble, have high quantum yields, and can be prepared by a simple one-step synthetic procedure

Wavelength-ratiometric nearphysiological ph sensors based on 6-aminoquinolinium boronic acid probes

Abstract We describe the pH response of a set of isomeric water-soluble fluorescent probes based on both the 6-aminoquinolinium and boronic acid moieties. These probes show spectral shifts and intensity changes with pH, in a wavelength-ratiometric and colorimetric manner. Subsequently, changes in pH can readily be determined around the physiological level. Although boronic acid containing probes are known to exhibit pH sensitivity along with an ability for saccharide binding/chelating, the new probes reported here are considered to be unique and show an unperturbed pH response, even in the presence of high concentrations of background saccharide, such as with glucose and fructose, allowing for the predominant pH sensitivity. The response of the probes is based on the ability of the boronic acid group to interact with strong bases like OH − , changing from the neutral form of the boronic acid group, R-B(OH) 2 , to the anionic ester, R-B − (OH) 3 , form, which is an electron donating group. The presence of an electron deficient quaternary heterocyclic nitrogen center and a strong electron donating amino group in the 6-position of the quinolinium backbone, provides for the spectral changes observed upon OH − complexation. In addition, by comparing the results obtained with systems separately incorporating 6-methoxy or 6-methyl substituents, the suppressed response towards monosaccharides, such as with glucose and fructose, can clearly be observed for these systems. Finally we compare our results to those of a control compound, BAQ, which does not contain the boronic acid group, allowing a rationale of the spectral changes to be made

Cooperative and Antagonistic Contributions of Two Heterochromatin Proteins to Transcriptional Regulation of the Drosophila Sex Determination Decision

Eukaryotic nuclei contain regions of differentially staining chromatin (heterochromatin), which remain condensed throughout the cell cycle and are largely transcriptionally silent. RNAi knockdown of the highly conserved heterochromatin protein HP1 in Drosophila was previously shown to preferentially reduce male viability. Here we report a similar phenotype for the telomeric partner of HP1, HOAP, and roles for both proteins in regulating the Drosophila sex determination pathway. Specifically, these proteins regulate the critical decision in this pathway, firing of the establishment promoter of the masterswitch gene, Sex-lethal (Sxl). Female-specific activation of this promoter, SxlPe, is essential to females, as it provides SXL protein to initiate the productive female-specific splicing of later Sxl transcripts, which are transcribed from the maintenance promoter (SxlPm) in both sexes. HOAP mutants show inappropriate SxlPe firing in males and the concomitant inappropriate splicing of SxlPm-derived transcripts, while females show premature firing of SxlPe. HP1 mutants, by contrast, display SxlPm splicing defects in both sexes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show both proteins are associated with SxlPe sequences. In embryos from HP1 mutant mothers and Sxl mutant fathers, female viability and RNA polymerase II recruitment to SxlPe are severely compromised. Our genetic and biochemical assays indicate a repressing activity for HOAP and both activating and repressing roles for HP1 at SxlPe

Drosophila Genes That Affect Meiosis Duration Are among the Meiosis Related Genes That Are More Often Found Duplicated

Using a phylogenetic approach, the examination of 33 meiosis/meiosis-related genes in 12 Drosophila species, revealed nine independent gene duplications, involving the genes cav, mre11, meiS332, polo and mtrm. Evidence is provided that at least eight out of the nine gene duplicates are functional. Therefore, the rate at which Drosophila meiosis/meiosis-related genes are duplicated and retained is estimated to be 0.0012 per gene per million years, a value that is similar to the average for all Drosophila genes. It should be noted that by using a phylogenetic approach the confounding effect of concerted evolution, that is known to lead to overestimation of the duplication and retention rate, is avoided. This is an important issue, since even in our moderate size sample, evidence for long-term concerted evolution (lasting for more than 30 million years) was found for the meiS332 gene pair in species of the Drosophila subgenus. Most striking, in contrast to theoretical expectations, is the finding that genes that encode proteins that must follow a close stoichiometric balance, such as polo, mtrm and meiS332 have been found duplicated. The duplicated genes may be examples of gene neofunctionalization. It is speculated that meiosis duration may be a trait that is under selection in Drosophila and that it has different optimal values in different species