Fabrication of a flexible multi-referenced surface plasmon sensor using room temperature nanoimprint lithography

A novel surface plasmon sensing platform has been fabricated in a flexible format. The procedure used to fabricate a grating coupler for SPR excitation combined standard replica molding techniques with room temperature nanoimprint lithography producing a smooth repeating structure 600 nm in width and 10 nm high.In initial tests the platform demonstrated an average signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 100:1 and sensitivity to changes in the bulk refractive index of water with temperature.