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

Katrin Kneipp, Yang Wang, Harald Kneipp, Lev T. Perelman, Irving Itzkan, Ramachandra R. Dasari, and Michael S. Feld
Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 1667 – Published 3 March 1997
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Abstract

By exploiting the extremely large effective cross sections ( 10171016cm2/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 2×105W/cm2 nonresonant near-infrared excitation show a clear “fingerprint” of its Raman features between 700 and 1700cm1. 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.

  • Received 6 November 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.1667

©1997 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Katrin Kneipp, Yang Wang, Harald Kneipp, Lev T. Perelman, Irving Itzkan, Ramachandra R. Dasari, and Michael S. Feld

  • George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
  • Department of Physics, Technical University of Berlin, D 10623 Berlin, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 9 — 3 March 1997

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