ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the main principles of design and operation of localized polariton-based sensors. It reviews the operation principles wand discusses the design of two configurations based on metal nanoparticles and patterned films. The chapter addresses the effects of light illumination and sensor materials and covers nanochip fabrication and characterization aspects. Polaritonic sensors are able to monitor binding events on a sensor surface in real time, providing a distinct advantage over endpoint detection methods. They are typically based on the spectral shift of polariton resonances or their intensity change induced by the molecule binding. The traditional propagating polariton-based sensors are generally bulky, while the localized polariton-based sensors offer similar functionalities at smaller dimensions. The nanoparticle shape plays a large role in determining sensitivity. Sensitivity of nanoparticle sensors is dominated by spectral position of localized surface polariton resonance (LSPR) and dielectric property.
