Development of Nanobio terahertz measurement platform using local-terahertz-electric-field-enhanced metamaterial chips

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01499
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 21060:Electron device and electronic equipment-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Serita Kazunori 大阪大学, レーザー科学研究所, 特任助教 (00748014)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: テラヘルツ / 非線形光学 / メタマテリアル / 局所テラヘルツ場 / 近接場テラヘルツ励起 / ファノ共鳴 / 微量分析 / 乳癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have developed a micro- and high-intense point terahertz (THz) source using optical-THz conversion in a nonlinear optical crystal and applied it to the development of a novel THz measurement platform that operates based on near-field interaction between a sample and the THz source. Based on this idea, we have developed unique THz biosensors with a few arrays of asymmetric metamaterials and a THz near-field spectroscopic imaging system, with which femtomole order of the various solutes, such as ions, sugar, and proteins, can be sensed in picoliter-order solutions and early-stage cancers less than 0.5 mm in size can be visualized without staining. Establishing such a noninvasive, label-free, and highly sensitive THz measurement platform using trace amounts of biological samples would contribute greatly to nano-biosensing with THz waves and future medical societies as well as acquiring new biological knowledge.

Free Research Field

テラヘルツ波工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

マイクロ化学チップ技術が飛躍的な発展を遂げたように、THz領域においてもチップ開発や高感度なバイオ計測手法の開発が羨望されている。その大きな問題となっているTHzバイオ計測時の感度低下と空間分解能の問題が本研究によって解決され、非侵襲・非標識での全く新しい診断・分析技術の提供が行えるようになる。本研究成果は、THz波を利用したナノバイオ計測の実現可能性に資する重要な成果であり、今後のバイオ・医療分野への応用展開と新しい生物学的知見取得に期待できる。