Patent ID: 8384892

Claim:
A method for performing surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) with enhanced sensitivity, comprising the steps of: providing an optical resonator device having a separate metal nanostructure formed on a surface of the optical resonator device, illuminating the optical resonator device with light to produce an enhanced resonant electric field in the optical resonator device; and coupling the enhanced electric field to the metal nanostructure, wherein the optical resonator comprises a photonic crystal, and wherein the metal nanostructure is selected from the group of nanostructures consisting of: a nanostructure formed on a dielectric support deposited on the photonic crystal; a metallic film deposited over close-packed surface of nanospheres; arrays of metallic nanotriangles; metallic nanorods; metallic nanohelices; arrays of metallic nanospheres; and roughened metal surfaces; and wherein the metal nanostructure comprises a nanostructure formed on a dielectic support deposited on the photonic crystal, and wherein the dielectric support comprises a post.