A hybrid metal–dielectric zero mode waveguide for enhanced single molecule detection

We fabricated hybrid metal–dielectric nanoslots and measured their optical response at three different wavelengths. The nanostructure is fabricated on a bilayer film formed by the sequential deposition of silicon and gold on a transparent substrate. The optical characterization is done via fluorescence spectroscopy measurements. We characterized the fluorescence enhancement, as well as the lifetime and the detection volume reduction for each wavelength. We observe that the hybrid metal–dielectric nanoslots behave as enhanced zero mode waveguides in the near-infrared spectral region. Their detection volume is such that they can perform enhanced single-molecule detection at tens of μM. We compared their behavior with that of a golden ZMW, and we demonstrated that the dielectric silicon layer improves both the optical performance and the stability of the device.