Polarization selective surface enhanced raman spectroscopy

1. A polarization selective surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system comprising:

a SERS sensing substrate comprising a plurality of nanofingers arranged as a SERS multimer to exhibit a polarization-dependent plasmonic mode;

a stimulus source to selectively illuminate the SERS multimer with a first stimulus signal having a first polarization to stimulate the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode of the SERS multimer, and a second stimulus signal having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization; and

a Raman detector to detect a Raman scattering signal emitted by an analyte in a vicinity of the SERS multimer, the Raman scattering signal having a polarization state associated with the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode,

wherein the Raman detector is to measure a first spectrum in response to the first stimulus signal, a second spectrum in response to the second stimulus signal, and to discriminate between the Raman scattering signal and a background noise signal based on a difference between the first and second measured spectra.

2. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the nanofingers of the SERS multimer comprise a SERS-enhancing nanoparticle at a free end of the nanofingers opposite an end that is attached to a supporting surface of the SERS sensing substrate.

3. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 2 , wherein the nanoparticle comprises a metal surface that is functionalized to adsorb the analyte.

4. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the SERS multimer is a dimer, both of the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode and the Raman scattering signal polarization state being substantially aligned with a long axis of the dimer.

5. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the background noise signal comprises one or both of a fluorescence background signal and stray ambient light.

6. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus source comprises a polarizer having a selectable polarization state to produce the stimulus signal with a polarization state that corresponds with and excites the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode of the SERS multimer.

7. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 1 , wherein the detector comprises a polarization discriminator to receive one or both of a primary component of the polarization state of the Raman scattering signal and a component of the polarization state that is orthogonal to the primary component.

8. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 1 , wherein each of the nano fingers comprises a spherical metal tip and wherein the multimer comprises:

a first pair of the nano fingers having a first long axis passing through a center of the tip of the first pair of nano fingers, the first long axis providing a first one of the plurality of polarization-dependent plasmonic modes;

a second pair of the nano fingers having a second long axis passing through a center of the tip of the second pair of nano fingers, the second long axis providing a second one of the plurality of polarization-dependent plasmonic modes,

wherein the stimulus signal is to illuminate the multimer with a polarization state preferentially corresponding to the first one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes as compared to the second one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes, and

wherein the polarization discriminator is to receive a polarization state of the Raman scattering signal corresponding to the first one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes as compared to a polarization state of the Raman scattering signal corresponding to the second one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes.

9. A polarization selective surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system comprising:

a plurality of nanofingers arranged as a multimer, the nanofingers comprising a SERS-enhancing nanoparticle at a free end, the multimer to exhibit a polarization-dependent plasmonic mode;

a stimulus source comprising a polarizer to produce a stimulus signal with a controllable polarization state, wherein the stimulus source is through the first stimulus signal to illuminate the multimer with a polarization state corresponding to the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode and a second stimulus signal having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization; and

a Raman detector to detect a first excitation signal in response to the first stimulus signal and a second excitation signal in response to the second stimulus signal, the first and second stimulus signals comprising a Raman scattering signal emitted by an analyte in a vicinity of the multimer, the Raman detector comprising a polarization discriminator to discriminate between the Raman scattering signal a background noise signal based on a difference between the first and second detected excitation signals.

10. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 9 , wherein one or both of the stimulus source polarizer and the polarization discriminator comprises a rotatable polarizer.

11. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 10 , wherein the rotatable polarizer is shared by both the stimulus source and the Raman detector.

12. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 9 , wherein the multimer is a dimer to exhibit the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode substantially aligned with a long axis of the dimer.

13. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 9 , wherein the background noise signal comprises a substantially unpolarized fluorescence signal.

14. The polarization selective SERS system of claim 9 , wherein each of the nano fingers comprises a spherical metal tip and wherein the multimer comprises:

a first pair of the nano fingers having first long axis passing through a center of the tip of the first pair of nano fingers, the first long axis providing a first one of the plurality of polarization-dependent plasmonic modes;

a second pair of the nano fingers having a second long axis passing through a center of the tip of the second pair of nano fingers, the second long axis providing a second one of the plurality of polarization-dependent plasmonic modes, wherein the stimulus signal is to illuminate the multimer with a polarization state corresponding to the first one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes as compared to the second one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes.

15. A method of polarization selective surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), the method comprising:

illuminating a SERS substrate with a first stimulus signal having a first polarization to stimulate the polarization-dependent plasmonic mode of the SERS multimer, and a second stimulus signal having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization, the SERS substrate comprising a plurality of nanofingers arranged as a multimer, the nanofingers comprising a SERS-enhancing nanoparticle at a free end opposite an end of the nanofinger attached to a support, the illuminated multimer to exhibit a polarization-dependent plasmonic mode;

detecting a first excitation signal in response to the first stimulus signal and a second excitation signal in response to the second stimulus signal, the first and second stimulus signals comprising a Raman scattering signal emitted by an analyte in a vicinity of the multimer; and

discriminating between the Raman scattering signal and a background noise signal based on a difference between the first and second detected excitation signals.

16. The method of polarization selective SERS of claim 15 , further comprising rotating one or both of a polarization state of the stimulus signal and a polarization of a polarization discriminator used to selectably discriminate the Raman scattering signal polarization state.

17. The method of polarization selective SERS of claim 15 , wherein the background noise signal comprises a substantially unpolarized fluorescence signal.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the nano fingers comprises a spherical metal tip and wherein the multimer comprises:

a first pair of the nano fingers having first long axis passing through a center of the tip of the first pair of nano fingers, the first long axis providing a first one of the plurality of polarization-dependent plasmonic modes;

a second pair of the nano fingers having a second long axis passing through a center of the tip of the second pair of nano fingers, the second long axis providing a second one of the plurality of polarization-dependent plasmonic modes,

wherein the stimulus signal is to illuminate the multimer with a polarization state preferentially corresponding to the first one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes as compared to the second one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes, and

wherein the polarization discriminator is to receive a polarization state of the Raman scattering signal corresponding to the first one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes as compared to a polarization state of the Raman scattering signal corresponding to the second one of the polarization-dependent plasmonic modes.