A Terahertz Point Source Meta-Sensor in Reflection Mode for Trace-Amount Bio-Sensing Applications

Biosensors in the Terahertz (THz) region are attracting significant attention in the biomedical and chemical analysis fields owing to their potential for ultra-trace sensing of various solutions with high sensitivity. However, the development of compact, highly sensitive chips and methods for easy, rapid, and trace-amount measurements have been significantly hindered by the limited spatial resolution of THz waves and their strong absorption by water. In this study, we developed a nonlinear optical crystal (NLOC)-based compact THz sensor chip, and a near-field point THz source with a diameter of ~ϕ20 μm was locally generated via optical rectification. Here, only the single central meta-atom was excited. The reflective resonance responses highly depend on the array number and period of the meta-atom structures. The sensing performance was examined with several liquid biological samples, such as mineral water, DNA, and human blood. 1 μL of samples was directly dropped onto the meta-surface with an effective sensing area of 0.32 mm2 (564 μm × 564 μm). Obvious resonance frequency shifts were clearly observed. This research holds significance in advancing liquid bio-sample sensing methodologies by facilitating easy, rapid, and trace-amount measurements and promoting the development of compact and highly sensitive THz sensors tailored for liquid biological samples.