Single Molecule Detection Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.1667· OSTI ID:467449

Kneipp, K; Wang, Y; Kneipp, H; Perelman, L T; Itzkan, I; Dasari, R R; Feld, M S ^[1]

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1. George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States)

By exploiting the extremely large effective cross sections (10{sup -17}{endash}10{sup -16}cm{sup 2}/molecule) available from surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), we achieved the first observation of single molecule Raman scattering. Measured spectra of a single crystal violet molecule in aqueous colloidal silver solution using one second collection time and about 2{times}10{sup 5}W/cm{sup 2} nonresonant near-infrared excitation show a clear {open_quotes}fingerprint{close_quotes} of its Raman features between 700 and 1700cm{sup -1}. Spectra observed in a time sequence for an average of 0.6 dye molecule in the probed volume exhibited the expected Poisson distribution for actually measuring 0, 1, 2, or 3 molecules. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 467449
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 78, Issue 9; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
MOLECULES
RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
DYES
SURFACES
COLLOIDS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
SILVER