Optonanofluidic device integrated with chiral metamaterials towards chiral separation and detection

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14658
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 34020:Analytical chemistry-related
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Le Hac Huong Thu 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, エレクトロニクス・製造領域, 主任研究員 (60752144)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 磁気不斉二色性 / キラルメタマテリアル / オプトナノ流体デバイス / 光-分子の超強結合場

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study is aiming to develop a new type of artificial metamaterial structures with giant magneto-chiral dichroism (MChD), towards the optical detection and separation of chiral molecules using an external magnetic field. The metamaterial structure consists of multiple layers of thin films composed of ferromagnetic metal, dielectric material, and metallic nanostructures arranged in a chiral configuration. This structure exhibits the differential absorption of unpolarized light with respect to the relative orientation of the magnetization. This study also introduces a novel optonanofluidic device integrated with metamaterials that features the strong coupling between molecules and dark mode plasmons confined in a nanofluidic channel. The combination of MChD metamaterials and optonanofluidic device thus holds a great potential for a simple and robust method of detection and separation of chiral molecules using a magnet and unpolarized light.

Free Research Field

光工学, 光量子工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、分子・磁性・光との相互作用を積極的に活用することを通じて、永久磁石と無偏光の光源だけで光学異性体が分離分析できる高性能かつ汎用的なキラル分離分析技術の実現に向けた重要な方法論を提供しており、その学術上の意義とインパクトは大きい。特に生体分子の構造機能解析や製薬創薬分野で一般的に用いる円偏光二色性（CD）及び振動円偏光二色性(VCD)分光法に比べて、光の位相の制御が一切必要せず，一般的な吸光度測定だけでキラル分光法が実現できる点に絶対的な強みである。高性能及び汎用性のみならず，超高速時間分解キラル分光法を可能とする．また，簡易なシステム構成はキラル分離分析装置の小型化にも優れる.