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Hamza, Musa N., Islam, Mohammad Tariqul, Alibakhshikenari, Mohammad, Lavadiya, Sunil, Iftikhar, Ud Din, Sanches, Bruno, Koziel, Slawomir, Naqvi, Syeda Iffat, Panda, Abinash, Virdee, Bal Singh, Farmani, Ali, Parand, Peiman, Miah, Md Sipon and Islam, Md. Shabiul (2025) High-performance THz nano-metamaterial absorber with negative permittivity (0.1–10 THz) for early cancer detection via circulating exosomes. IEEE Sensors Journal. pp. 1-16. ISSN 1558-1748
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with nearly 10 million cancer-related deaths and approximately 30 million new cases projected by 2030. While significant advances have been made in therapeutic strategies, such as targeted treatments, immunotherapy, and gene therapy, early diagnosis remains crucial for improving patient outcomes. However, conventional diagnostic tools like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and histopathology often suffer from limited sensitivity and specificity. Emerging technologies, including liquid biopsy, nano-photonics, and terahertz (THz) sensing, offer promising alternatives by enabling faster, more accurate detection. In particular, extracellular vesicles (EVs)—specifically exosomes, which are nanometer-sized vesicles involved in cancer progression—have gained attention as biomarkers for early-stage cancer detection. Traditional methods for detecting exosomes typically rely on labeling with antibodies or dyes, which can be costly, time-consuming, and prone to false positives. This study presents a novel THz nano-metamaterial absorber designed for early cancer detection through circulating exosomes. The absorber features ultra-wideband operation from 0.1 to 10 THz and achieves absorption rates exceeding 92%, demonstrating exceptional sensitivity and precision. With a compact footprint of 100 × 100 nm² and a thickness of just 30 nm, the design incorporates silver (Ag) resonators, dual dielectric substrates (silicon dioxide [SiO₂] and titanium dioxide [TiO₂]), and a nickel (Ni) backplane. This configuration enables optimized plasmonic and dielectric interactions for effective electromagnetic wave absorption. Key performance features include polarization insensitivity, reduced noise, and the ability to achieve negative permittivity at 4.85 THz—enhancing the sensor’s responsiveness to subtle refractive index changes in nanoscale biological samples such as cancerous exosomes. Comprehensive numerical analyses, including field distributions, surface currents, and scattering parameters, validate the sensor’s performance. Benchmark comparisons highlight the proposed sensor’s superior absorption efficiency, sensitivity, and nanoscale precision, setting a new standard for non-invasive, early-stage cancer diagnostics.
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
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