Single Molecule Detection Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS)
Abstract
By exploiting the extremely large effective cross sections ( 10-17-10-16 cm2/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 2×105 W/cm2 nonresonant near-infrared excitation show a clear ``fingerprint'' of its Raman features between 700 and 1700 cm-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.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- March 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.1667
- Bibcode:
- 1997PhRvL..78.1667K