Colorimetric biosensors can be used to detect a particular analyte through color changes easily by naked eyes or simple portable optical detectors for quantitative measurement. Thus, it is highly attractive for point-of-care detections of harmful viruses to prevent potential pandemic outbreak, as antiviral medication must be administered in a timely fashion. This review paper summaries existing and emerging techniques that can be employed to detect viruses through colorimetric assay design with detailed discussion of their sensing principles, performances as well as pros and cons, with an aim to provide guideline on the selection of suitable colorimetric biosensors for detecting different species of viruses. Among the colorimetric methods for virus detections, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method is more favourable for its faster detection, high efficiency, cheaper cost, and more reliable with high reproducible assay results. Nanoparticle-based colorimetric biosensors, on the other hand, are most suitable to be fabricated into lateral flow or lab-on-a-chip devices, and can be coupled with LAMP or portable PCR systems for highly sensitive on-site detection of viruses, which is very critical for early diagnosis of virus infections and to prevent outbreak in a swift and controlled manner.

Artificial spin ice (ASI) consisting patterned array of nano-magnets with frustrated dipolar interactions offers an excellent platform to study frustrated physics using direct imaging methods. Moreover, ASI often hosts a large number of nearly degenerated and non-volatile spin states that can be used for multi-bit data storage and neuromorphic computing. The realization of the device potential of ASI, however, critically relies on the capability of transport characterization of ASI, which has not been demonstrated so far. Using a tri-axial ASI system as the model system, we demonstrate that transport measurements can be used to distinguish the different spin states of the ASI system. Specifically, by fabricating a tri-layer structure consisting a permalloy base layer, a Cu spacer layer and the tri-axial ASI layer, we clearly resolve different spin states in the tri-axial ASI system using lateral transport measurements. We have further demonstrated that the tri-axial ASI system has all necessary required properties for reservoir computing, including rich spin configurations to store input signals, nonlinear response to input signals, and fading memory effect. The successful transport characterization of ASI opens up the prospect for novel device applications of ASI in multi-bit data storage and neuromorphic computing.

Being the first intrinsic antiferromagnetic (AFM) topological insulator (TI), MnBi₂Te₄ is argued to be a topological axion state in its even-layer form due to the antiparallel magnetization between the top and bottom layers. Here we combine both transport and scanning microwave impedance microscopy (sMIM) to investigate such axion state in atomically thin MnBi₂Te₄ with even-layer thickness at zero magnetic field. While transport measurements show a zero Hall plateau signaturing the axion state, sMIM uncovers an unexpected edge state raising questions regarding the nature of the “axion state”. Based on our model calculation, we propose that the edge state of even-layer MnBi₂Te₄ at zero field is derived from gapped helical edge states of the quantum spin Hall effect with time-reversal-symmetry breaking, when a crossover from a three-dimensional TI MnBi₂Te₄ to a two-dimensional TI occurs. Our finding thus signifies the richness of topological phases in MnB₂Te₄ that has yet to be fully explored.

We designed and fabricated two new nanostructured biosensing chips, with which the sensitive detection of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as low as 100 pg ml⁻¹ can be achieved, by measuring the plasmon enhanced fluorescence through a conventional dark field microscope. The gold nanostructure arrays, one with gold nanopillars of 140 nm, the other with gold nanoholes of 140 nm, were fabricated via nanoimprinting onto glass substrate, as localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) generators to enhance the fluorescent emission of fluorophore, e.g. quantum dot (QD). A sandwich bioassay of capture anti-PSA antibody (cAb)/PSA/detection anti-PSA (dAb) labeled by QD-655 was established on the nanostructures, and the perfect LSPR excitation distance (10–15 nm) between the nanostructure and QD-655 was simulated and controlled by a cleft cAb fragment and streptavidin modified QD. QD was chosen in this study due to its photo stability, broad Stokes shift, and long lifetime. As far as we know, this is the first time that QD is applied for PSA detection on the uniform nanostructured sensing chips based on the LSPR enhanced fluorescence. Due to the miniaturized nanoarray sensing chip (1.8 mm × 1.8 mm), the convenience and specificity for the detection of PSA via the sandwich assay, and the high optical detection sensitivity, the platform has great potential for the development of a portable point-of-care (POC) system for outpatient diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Localized surface plasmon (LSP) has been widely applied for the enhancement of fluorescence emission for biosensing owing to its potential for strong field enhancement. However, due to its small penetration depth, LSP offers limited fluorescence enhancement over a whole sensor chip and, therefore, insufficient sensitivity for the detection of biomolecules, especially large molecules. We demonstrate the simultaneous excitation of LSP and propagating surface plasmon (PSP) on an Au nanohole array under Kretschmann configuration for the detection of prostate-specific antigen with a sandwich immunoassay. The proposed method combines the advantages of high field enhancement by LSP and large surface area probed by PSP field. The simulated results indicated that a maximum enhancement of electric field intensity up to 1,600 times can be achieved under the simultaneous excitation of LSP and PSP modes. The sandwich assay of PSA carried out on gold nanohole array substrate showed a limit of detection of 140 fM supporting coexcitation of LSP and PSP modes. The limit of detection was approximately sevenfold lower than that when only LSP was resonantly excited on the same substrate. The results of this study demonstrate high fluorescence enhancement through the coexcitation of LSP and PSP modes and pave a way for its implementation as a highly sensitive bioassay.