Effect of Thermal Activation on the Enhancement of Raman Spectra of Dielectric Microspheres Coated with a Thin Metal Layer
摘要
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the enhancement of Raman spectra of individual dielectric (polystyrene) microspheres deposited on silver coverslips and coated with a thin (10-nm) metal layer. We found that laser irradiation with a power of 10–20 μW causes thermal activation, which leads to a sharp increase in the intensity of the Raman spectra, as well as to their modification. This effect is irreversible, indicating structural changes in the metal layer. After thermal activation, it becomes possible to record spectra at much lower excitation powers, which significantly increases the sensitivity of the method.