Measurement of microscopic birefringence by using focused surface plasmon and its application to cell diagnosis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K04916
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 30020:Optical engineering and photon science-related
• Research Institution: Muroran Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kano Hiroshi 室蘭工業大学, 大学院工学研究科, 准教授 (80322874)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 表面プラズモン / 複屈折 / 銀表面の親水化 / 大気圧低温プラズマ処理 / 光異性化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A method for measuring birefringence in nano-region using a focused surface plasmon was developed. Birefringence induced by photo-isomerization was measured successfully. A method for protecting a silver surface with polymer ultra-thin film was also developed. In this method, the silver surface was modified by atmospheric low-temperature plasma treatment to have hydrophobic surface to enable the use of the spin coating technique. With the protective layer, cell cultivation was conducted successfully, while contaminations between the substrate surface and the cell degraded the spatial frequency response that is essential for birefringence analysis.

Free Research Field

光計測

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，極めて微小な領域に生じる複屈折を極めて高い感度で測定する手法を開発することに成功した．不屈折は，光が媒質中を伝搬するとき，電場の振動方向によって感受する屈折率が異なる現象であり，たとえば，細胞異常は細胞に複屈折を発生させたり，消失させたりする．開発した手法は，細胞のサイズに比べ小さな領域の複屈折を高感度に測定する点で画期的であり，その実現には，金属表面の自由電子を光の電磁場がナノ領域で共鳴する集束表面プラズモンを利用した．