Nanometric metal wire as a guide for THz investigation of living cells

The development of microsystems as tools for nanotechnology is strongly observed in the case of Biological MicroElectroMechanical Systems (BioMEMS). A part of them aim at the characterisation of biomolecules in solutions or in biological entities such as living cells. THz spectroscopy could provide interesting new complementary information at the systemic biology due to its faculty to probe the low binding energy between molecules or inside heavy biomolecules. We describe here a THz BioMEMS based on a new integrated propagation mode around a metallic wire where the radial size is down to the nanometre scale. This size is required for a sub-micrometre spatial resolution. We give the first results obtained in term of propagation constant and permittivity sensitivity. They are the key for an optimised configuration of THz nanoprobe.