Numerous living organisms possess biophotonic nanostructures that provide colouration and other diverse functions for survival. While such structures have been actively studied and replicated in the laboratory, it remains unclear whether they can be used for biomedical applications. Here, we show a transparent photonic nanostructure inspired by the longtail glasswing butterfly (Chorinea faunus) and demonstrate its use in intraocular pressure (IOP) sensors in vivo. We exploit the phase separation between two immiscible polymers (poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene) to form nanostructured features on top of a Si₃N₄ substrate. The membrane thus formed shows good angle-independent white-light transmission, strong hydrophilicity and anti-biofouling properties, which prevent adhesion of proteins, bacteria and eukaryotic cells. We then developed a microscale implantable IOP sensor using our photonic membrane as an optomechanical sensing element. Finally, we performed in vivo testing on New Zealand white rabbits, which showed that our device reduces the mean IOP measurement variation compared with conventional rebound tonometry without signs of inflammation.

Understanding and controlling the nanoscale transport of excitonic quasiparticles in atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors are crucial to produce highly efficient nano-excitonic devices. Here, we present a nanogap device to selectively confine excitons or trions of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides at the nanoscale, facilitated by the drift-dominant exciton funneling into the strain-induced local spot. We investigate the spatiospectral characteristics of the funneled excitons in a WSe ₂ monolayer (ML) and converted trions in a MoS ₂ ML using hyperspectral tip-enhanced photoluminescence imaging with <15-nm spatial resolution. In addition, we dynamically control the exciton funneling and trion conversion rate by the gigapascal-scale tip pressure engineering. Through a drift-diffusion model, we confirm an exciton funneling efficiency of ∼25% with a significantly low strain threshold (∼0.1%), which sufficiently exceeds the efficiency of ∼3% in previous studies. This work provides a previously unexplored strategy to facilitate efficient exciton transport and trion conversion of 2D semiconductor devices.

We present metallic nanohole arrays fabricated on suspended membranes as an optofluidic substrate. Millimeter-sized suspended nanohole arrays were fabricated using nanoimprint lithography. We demonstrate refractive-index-based tuning of the optical spectra using a sucrose solution for the optimization of SERS signal intensity, leading to a Raman enhancement factor of 10⁷. Furthermore, compared to dead-ended nanohole arrays, suspended nanohole arrays capable of flow-through detection increased the measured SERS signal intensity by 50 times. For directed transport of analytes, we present a novel methodology utilizing surface tension to generate spontaneous flow through the nanoholes with flow rates of 1 μL/min, obviating the need for external pumps or microfluidic interconnects. Using this method for SERS, we obtained a 50 times higher signal as compared to diffusion-limited transport and could detect 100 pM 4-mercaptopyridine. The suspended nanohole substrates presented herein possess a uniform and reproducible geometry and show the potential for improved analyte transport and SERS detection.