Controlling the emission properties of fluorophores is essential for improving the performance of fluorescence-based techniques in modern biochemical research, medical diagnosis, and sensing. Fluorescence emission is isotropic in nature, which makes it difficult to capture more than a small fraction of the total emission. Metal– dielectric–metal (MDM) substrates, discussed in this Letter, convert isotropic fluorescence into beaming emission normal to the substrate. This improves fluorescence collection efficiency and also opens up new avenues for a wide range of fluorescence-based applications. We suggest that MDM substrates can be readily adapted for multiple uses, such as in microarray formats, for directional fluorescence studies of multiple probes or for molecule-specific sensing with a high degree of spatial control over the fluorescence emission. SECTION: Physical Processes in Nanomaterials and Nanostructures
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