Graphene-based biosensors: The mid-infrared (mid-IR) range is particularly well suited for biosensing because it encompasses the molecular vibrations that identify the biochemical building blocks of life, such as proteins, lipids, and DNA. However, the resulting optical signal is extremely weak and often requires complex techniques to enhance the biological detection. Rodrigo et al. present a graphene-based biosensor that they dynamically tuned over a broad spectral range through electrical gating. The authors selectively probed protein molecules at different mid-IR frequencies using a single device. Science , this issue p. 165

Metasurfaces for molecular detection: Although mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy is a mainstay of molecular fingerprinting, its sensitivity is diminished somewhat when looking at small volumes of sample. Nanophotonics provides a platform to enhance the detection capability. Tittl et al. built a mid-IR nanophotonic sensor based on reflection from an all-dielectric metasurface array of specially designed scattering elements. The scattering elements could be tuned via geometry across a broad range of wavelengths in the mid-IR. The approach successfully detected and differentiated the absorption fingerprints of various molecules. The technique offers the prospect of on-chip molecular fingerprinting without the need for spectrometry, frequency scanning, or moving mechanical parts. Science , this issue p. 1105

Metasurfaces based on resonant subwavelength photonic structures enable novel ways of wavefront control and light focusing, underpinning a new generation of flat-optics devices¹. Recently emerged all-dielectric asymmetric metasurfaces, composed of arrays of metaunits with broken in-plane inversion symmetry^2,3,4,5,6,7, exhibit high-quality resonances originating from the intriguing physics of bound states in the continuum. Here, we combine dielectric metasurfaces and hyperspectral imaging to develop an ultrasensitive label-free analytical platform for biosensing. Our technique can acquire spatially resolved spectra from millions of image pixels and use smart data-processing tools to extract high-throughput digital sensing information at the unprecedented level of less than three molecules per μm². We further show spectral data retrieval from a single image without using spectrometers, enabled by our unique sensor design, paving the way for portable diagnostic applications. This combination of nanophotonics and imaging optics extends the capabilities of dielectric metasurfaces to analyse biological entities and atomic-layer-thick two-dimensional materials over large areas.

Infrared spectroscopy resolves the structure of molecules by detecting their characteristic vibrational fingerprints. Subwavelength light confinement and nanophotonic enhancement have extended the scope of this technique for monolayer studies. However, current approaches still require complex spectroscopic equipment or tunable light sources. Here, we introduce a novel metasurface-based method for detecting molecular absorption fingerprints over a broad spectrum, which combines the device-level simplicity of state-of-the-art angle-scanning refractometric sensors with the chemical specificity of infrared spectroscopy. Specifically, we develop germanium-based high-Q metasurfaces capable of delivering a multitude of spectrally selective and surface-sensitive resonances between 1100 and 1800 cm⁻¹. We use this approach to detect distinct absorption signatures of different interacting analytes including proteins, aptamers, and polylysine. In combination with broadband incoherent illumination and detection, our method correlates the total reflectance signal at each incidence angle with the strength of the molecular absorption, enabling spectrometer-less operation in a compact angle-scanning configuration ideally suited for field-deployable applications.

Infrared absorption spectroscopy is a powerful biochemical analysis tool as it extracts detailed molecular structural information in a label-free fashion. Its molecular specificity renders the technique sensitive to the subtle conformational changes exhibited by proteins in response to a variety of stimuli. Yet, sensitivity limitations and the extremely strong absorption bands of liquid water severely limit infrared spectroscopy in performing kinetic measurements in biomolecules' native, aqueous environments. Here we demonstrate a plasmonic chip-based technology that overcomes these challenges, enabling the in-situ monitoring of protein and nanoparticle interactions at high sensitivity in real time, even allowing the observation of minute volumes of water displacement during binding events. Our approach leverages the plasmonic enhancement of absorption bands in conjunction with a non-classical form of internal reflection. These features not only expand the reach of infrared spectroscopy to a new class of biological interactions but also additionally enable a unique chip-based technology.