Fluorescence emission enhanced by surface electromagnetic waves on one-dimensional photonic crystals

An appreciable increase in the fluorescence emission of an organic chromofore is obtained by exploiting the local field enhancement at the surface of one-dimensional photonic crystals after excitation of surface electromagnetic waves (SEW). Using a properly designed photonic crystal consisting of alternating a-Si1-xNx:H layers with different nitrogen content, efficient emission of R6G dye spun on the surface of the photonic crystal is detected and the intensity spatial distribution of the SEW is visualized by means of far-field fluorescence microscopy. Our results demonstrate potential applications in enhanced fluorescence microscopy with an increased sensitivity and spectral selectivity.