Moore and More ›› 2025, Vol. 1 ›› Issue (3): 219-231.DOI: 10.1007/s44275-025-00027-2

• Original Article • 上一篇    下一篇

Integrated plasmonic ruler using terahertz multi-BIC metasurface for digital biosensing

Qun Ren1, Sheng Jia1, Jingtong Li2, Liu He3, Yan Xu1, Hao Huang4, Xiaoman Wang4, ZherYian Ooi1, Yongshan Liang1, Yaoyin Zhang1, Hang Xu3, Zhang Zhang5, Jianwei You6, Wei E. I. Sha7, Jianquan Yao3   

  1. 1. School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    2. Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    3. Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronics Information Technology, Ministry of Education, School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    4. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Imaging and Sensing Microelectronic Technology, School of Microelectronics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    5. School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Jiangsu, 215000, China;
    6. State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China;
    7. Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Electronic Devices and Smart Systems of Zhejiang Province, College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
  • 收稿日期:2024-09-09 修回日期:2025-01-02 接受日期:2025-01-05 出版日期:2025-11-29 发布日期:2025-03-04
  • 通讯作者: Liu He,E-mail:heliu_0576@tju.edu.cn;Yan Xu,E-mail:xuyan@tju.edu.cn;Jianquan Yao,E-mail:jqyao@tju.edu.cn
  • Qun Ren received her Ph.D. in Electronic Information Engineering in 2019 at University College London. She is an outstanding young faculty member of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Affairs of the People’s Republic of China - China Postdoctoral International Exchange and Introduction Program. Currently she is an associate professor at School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, and deputy director of the Department of Communication. She has been deeply involved in AI and integrated circuits.
    Sheng Jia is an undergraduate student majoring in Electronic Information Engineering in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Tianjin University. He focuses on electromagnetism, wireless communication and data analytics to develop smart connected solutions for fields such as smart electromagnetic computing and industrial automation.
    Jingtong Li is currently working in the Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital. His academic qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Medicine from Harbin Medical University, a master’s degree in Oncology from Harbin Medical University, and a Ph.D. in Oncology from Harbin Medical University. His current research interests include oncology, ultrasound diagnosis and treatment, artificial intelligence and other fields.
    Liu He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the School of Precision Instruments and Opto-electronics Engineering, Tianjin University. His academic qualifications include B.Sc. degree in physical optics from Hubei University of Science and Technology and master’s degree in Optics Engineering from Jiangsu University. His current research interests include photonic crystals metamaterial, topological photonics, micronano-photonics devices, and topological nonlinear quantum optics.
    Yan Xu received her Ph.D. degree from Tianjin University Signal and information engineering in 2006. Currently, she is an associate professor of communication engineering and a tutor of master students in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University. Her main research interests are spatio-temporal data analysis and understanding (graph neural networks and deep graph learning) and industrial vision inspection based on artificial intelligence (image/video processing techniques).
    Hao Huang obtained his bachelor’s degree from Tianjin University of Technology in 2020. He is currently a master’s student at the School of Microelectronics, Tianjin University. His research interests lie in the regulation of metasurfaces and electromagnetic fields.
    Xiaoman Wang received her master’s degree in engineering from Tianjin University in 2021. Currently, she works at Purple Mountain Laboratory in Nanjing, where her research interests include electromagnetics metamaterials and digital integrated circuits.
    ZherYian Ooi is an undergraduate at Tianjin University’s School of Electronic Information Engineering, majoring in Internet of Things (IoT). He focuses on embedded systems, wireless communication, and data analysis to develop smart, interconnected solutions for areas such as smart cities and industrial automation. Committed to advancing IoT technologies and contributing to innovative, real-world applications through collaborative research.
    Yongshan Liang received her bachelor’s degree in Electronic Information Engineering from Tianjin University in 2021. She is currently a student at Tianjin University. Her research interests include electromagnetism.
    Yaoyin Zhang is an undergraduate student majoring in Electronic Information Engineering at the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University. She focuses on electromagnetism, data analysis, and wireless communication, striving to contribute to areas such as intelligent electromagnetic computing and industrial automation through collaborative research.
    Hang Xu is a graduate and assistant researcher from the School of Precision Instrument and Opto-Electronics Engineering at Tianjin University. His research interests include electromagnetic wave modulation using periodic optical systems, terahertz antennas, and ocean communication and detection.
    Zhang Zhang received his Ph.D. degree in optical engineering in 2020 from Tianjin University . He is currently an associate professor at Changshu Institute of Technology, and is a Gusu Young Innovation Leader. Main research: application of terahertz metasurface in tumor detection based on spectral sensing technology.
    Jianwei You received his Ph.D. degree from the School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University in 2015. He was a Research Associate at University College London from 2016 to 2021. Currently, he is a professor, a doctoral director, a young chief professor of Southeast University, a national high-level young talent. He has been engaged in the development of software and hardware for electromagnetic superstructured materials and computational electromagnetics.
    Wei E. I. Sha did research related to electromagnetism during his studies at University College London. He is now a researcher, professor and doctoral supervisor of the Hundred Talents Program, School of Information and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University. His research interests include electromagnetism, nonlinear electromagnetism, mesoscopic electromagnetism, quantum electromagnetism, topological electromagnetism and computational electromagnetism.
    Jianquan Yao is a renowned expert in laser and nonlinear optics, born in 1939 in Shanghai, China; he was admitted to the Department of Precision Instrumentation of Tianjin University in 1957, and graduated as a postgraduate student from Tianjin University in 1965 and stayed in the university as a teacher; in 1997, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He developed the theory of high power frequency doubling laser, and invented the precise calculation theory of optimal phase matching of biaxial crystals, which is known as the “Yao technology” and “Yao method” by the international academic community.
  • 基金资助:
    This work was financially sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (12104339, 62101078).

Integrated plasmonic ruler using terahertz multi-BIC metasurface for digital biosensing

Qun Ren1, Sheng Jia1, Jingtong Li2, Liu He3, Yan Xu1, Hao Huang4, Xiaoman Wang4, ZherYian Ooi1, Yongshan Liang1, Yaoyin Zhang1, Hang Xu3, Zhang Zhang5, Jianwei You6, Wei E. I. Sha7, Jianquan Yao3   

  1. 1. School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    2. Department of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    3. Key Laboratory of Opto-Electronics Information Technology, Ministry of Education, School of Precision Instruments and Opto-Electronics Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    4. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Imaging and Sensing Microelectronic Technology, School of Microelectronics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China;
    5. School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Jiangsu, 215000, China;
    6. State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves, School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China;
    7. Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Electronic Devices and Smart Systems of Zhejiang Province, College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China
  • Received:2024-09-09 Revised:2025-01-02 Accepted:2025-01-05 Online:2025-11-29 Published:2025-03-04
  • Contact: Liu He,E-mail:heliu_0576@tju.edu.cn;Yan Xu,E-mail:xuyan@tju.edu.cn;Jianquan Yao,E-mail:jqyao@tju.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was financially sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (12104339, 62101078).

摘要: In recent years, continuous bound states in the continuum (BIC) have gained significant attention for their practical applications in optics, chip technology, and modern communication. Traditional approaches to realizing and analyzing BIC typically rely on magnetic dipole models, which have limitations in quantitative analysis and integration. This creates a gap in understanding how to efficiently harness BIC with higher Q-factors for enhanced performance in real-world applications, particularly in scenarios involving terahertz imaging and multi-channel communication. In this study, we introduce a novel approach using a metallic resonator model that leverages toroidal dipole moments to generate symmetry-protected BIC with high Q-factors. By systematically varying the asymmetry parameters of the metasurface, we gradually break its symmetry, achieving a transition from the BIC mode to the quasi-BIC mode and facilitating the gradual release of stored electromagnetic energy. Our theoretical analysis confirms the existence and generation of BIC, and experimental measurements of the transmission response spectrum validate these theoretical predictions. The results indicate that terahertz metasurface with high Q-factors can produce strong resonances at specific frequencies, enhancing resistance to electromagnetic interference and ensuring stable imaging quality in complex environments. Additionally, this study suggests the potential for an integrated plasmonic ruler to achieve high-resolution and efficient biological imaging. These findings bridge the gap by demonstrating how high Q-factor BIC can be effectively utilized for multi-channel terahertz dynamic imaging and biosensing applications. This advancement lays a new foundation for developing robust systems in multi-channel communication and biomedical sensing, offering significant potential for future technological and medical innovations.

关键词: BIC, Metasurface, Toroidal dipole moment, Anti-electromagnetic interference, Plasmonic ruler for biosensing

Abstract: In recent years, continuous bound states in the continuum (BIC) have gained significant attention for their practical applications in optics, chip technology, and modern communication. Traditional approaches to realizing and analyzing BIC typically rely on magnetic dipole models, which have limitations in quantitative analysis and integration. This creates a gap in understanding how to efficiently harness BIC with higher Q-factors for enhanced performance in real-world applications, particularly in scenarios involving terahertz imaging and multi-channel communication. In this study, we introduce a novel approach using a metallic resonator model that leverages toroidal dipole moments to generate symmetry-protected BIC with high Q-factors. By systematically varying the asymmetry parameters of the metasurface, we gradually break its symmetry, achieving a transition from the BIC mode to the quasi-BIC mode and facilitating the gradual release of stored electromagnetic energy. Our theoretical analysis confirms the existence and generation of BIC, and experimental measurements of the transmission response spectrum validate these theoretical predictions. The results indicate that terahertz metasurface with high Q-factors can produce strong resonances at specific frequencies, enhancing resistance to electromagnetic interference and ensuring stable imaging quality in complex environments. Additionally, this study suggests the potential for an integrated plasmonic ruler to achieve high-resolution and efficient biological imaging. These findings bridge the gap by demonstrating how high Q-factor BIC can be effectively utilized for multi-channel terahertz dynamic imaging and biosensing applications. This advancement lays a new foundation for developing robust systems in multi-channel communication and biomedical sensing, offering significant potential for future technological and medical innovations.

Key words: BIC, Metasurface, Toroidal dipole moment, Anti-electromagnetic interference, Plasmonic ruler for biosensing