Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces

The unique molecular fingerprint spectral characteristics in the terahertz (THz) band provide distinct advantages for non-destructive and rapid biomolecular detection. However, conventional THz metasurface biosensors still face significant challenges in achieving highly sensitive and precise detecti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jing Zhao, Jiaxian Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/15/1178
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849770585516670976
author Jing Zhao
Jiaxian Wang
author_facet Jing Zhao
Jiaxian Wang
author_sort Jing Zhao
collection DOAJ
description The unique molecular fingerprint spectral characteristics in the terahertz (THz) band provide distinct advantages for non-destructive and rapid biomolecular detection. However, conventional THz metasurface biosensors still face significant challenges in achieving highly sensitive and precise detection. This study proposes a sensing platform based on quasi-bound states in the continuum (Quasi-BIC), which enhances molecular fingerprint recognition through resonance amplification. We designed a symmetric graphene double-split square ring metasurface structure. By modulating the Fermi level of graphene, this system generated continuously tunable Quasi-BIC resonance peaks across a broad THz spectral range, achieving precise spectral overlap with the characteristic absorption lines of lactose (1.19 THz and 1.37 THz) and tyrosine (0.958 THz). The results demonstrated a remarkable 763-fold enhancement in absorption peak intensity through envelope analysis for analytes with 0.1 μm thickness, compared to conventional bare substrate detection. This terahertz BIC metasurface sensor demonstrates high detection sensitivity, holding significant application value in fields such as biomedical diagnosis, food safety, and pharmaceutical testing.
format Article
id doaj-art-d76d31e39c3740e29f2bc29af7a03d29
institution DOAJ
issn 2079-4991
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Nanomaterials
spelling doaj-art-d76d31e39c3740e29f2bc29af7a03d292025-08-20T03:02:56ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912025-07-011515117810.3390/nano15151178Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene MetasurfacesJing Zhao0Jiaxian Wang1The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Flexible Manufacturing Equipment Integration of Fujian Province, Xiamen Institute of Technology, Xiamen 361021, ChinaSchool of Artificial Intelligence, Xiamen Institute of Technology, Xiamen 361021, ChinaThe unique molecular fingerprint spectral characteristics in the terahertz (THz) band provide distinct advantages for non-destructive and rapid biomolecular detection. However, conventional THz metasurface biosensors still face significant challenges in achieving highly sensitive and precise detection. This study proposes a sensing platform based on quasi-bound states in the continuum (Quasi-BIC), which enhances molecular fingerprint recognition through resonance amplification. We designed a symmetric graphene double-split square ring metasurface structure. By modulating the Fermi level of graphene, this system generated continuously tunable Quasi-BIC resonance peaks across a broad THz spectral range, achieving precise spectral overlap with the characteristic absorption lines of lactose (1.19 THz and 1.37 THz) and tyrosine (0.958 THz). The results demonstrated a remarkable 763-fold enhancement in absorption peak intensity through envelope analysis for analytes with 0.1 μm thickness, compared to conventional bare substrate detection. This terahertz BIC metasurface sensor demonstrates high detection sensitivity, holding significant application value in fields such as biomedical diagnosis, food safety, and pharmaceutical testing.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/15/1178terahertz sensinggraphene metasurfacequasi-bound states in the continuummolecular fingerprint recognition
spellingShingle Jing Zhao
Jiaxian Wang
Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces
Nanomaterials
terahertz sensing
graphene metasurface
quasi-bound states in the continuum
molecular fingerprint recognition
title Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces
title_full Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces
title_fullStr Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces
title_full_unstemmed Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces
title_short Quasi-Bound States in the Continuum-Enabled Wideband Terahertz Molecular Fingerprint Sensing Using Graphene Metasurfaces
title_sort quasi bound states in the continuum enabled wideband terahertz molecular fingerprint sensing using graphene metasurfaces
topic terahertz sensing
graphene metasurface
quasi-bound states in the continuum
molecular fingerprint recognition
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/15/1178
work_keys_str_mv AT jingzhao quasiboundstatesinthecontinuumenabledwidebandterahertzmolecularfingerprintsensingusinggraphenemetasurfaces
AT jiaxianwang quasiboundstatesinthecontinuumenabledwidebandterahertzmolecularfingerprintsensingusinggraphenemetasurfaces