Approach the angular sensitivity limit in surface plasmon resonance sensors with low index prism and large resonant angle

作者：Huang Ding Wei^*; Ma Yao Feng; Sung Ming Je; Huang Chiao Pan

来源：Optical Engineering, 2010, 49(5): 054403.

DOI：10.1117/1.3431662

• surface plasmons
• sensors
• biochemical optics

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors have been studied thoroughly for the past two decades. However, we found that the angular sensitivity in a prism-coupled SPR sensor can be as high as 500 deg/refractive index unit (RIU), which is two times higher than the sensitivity that has ever been achieved in previous studies. Such a high angular sensitivity can be fully achieved by simply choosing a proper low-index prism and a sufficiently large resonant angle for the light signal at an appropriate wavelength with an optimal metal film thickness. A feasible implementation of such an SPR sensor design concept was also proposed, and an even higher sensitivity of 600 deg/RIU can be achieved.

• 出版日期2010-5