Liquid cell with plasmon lenses for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

High-fidelity surface enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) of Rhodamine 6G and 2-mercaptopyrimidine liquid solutions are measured using a microfluidic delivery system constructed on a flat silver substrate. Microscopic plasmon lenses patterned in the silver film focus surface plasmons into a subwavelength spot which yields the light amplification required for SERS. The system provides an efficiency similar to traditional colloidal substrates, and allows multiple sample loading. We find that the main contribution to the spectra comes from the molecules directly attached to the silver surface, which gives strong evidence for the chemical enhancement of SERS.