A numerical study is presented of surface plasmon waves excitation in a metal film applied to the cladding of a standard bent single-mode optical fiber. It was shown that by adjusting the bend radius and metal film thickness one can achieve effective coupling between the fiber fundamental mode and symmetric surface plasmon mode through the intermediary of whispering gallery modes supported by the cladding of the bent fiber. This effect is demonstrated to allow for refractometric measurement both in the wavelength and intensity-modulated regimes with a resolution of up to 10⁻⁸ RIU. Usage of standard noise reduction techniques for intensity-modulated optical signals promises further increase in accuracy.

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Ephedrine is an illicit drug, classified as precursor for methamphetamine, which is also used as stimulant, appetite suppressant, decongestant or asthma. In this study, novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) films were prepared by sol-gel derived techniques, using N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as functional monomer, to recognize ephedrine from aqueous solutions. The films were obtained by air-spraying the precursor solutions, with various concentrations of monomer and template, on glass supports. Infrared, thermogravimetry, ellipsometry, optic and atomic force microscopy analyzes of films provided information regarding the effect of molecular imprinting upon the physical properties of films. Further on, batch rebinding evaluation indicated that thinner films present high affinity for ephedrine, resulting in 6.2 imprinting factor after 15 minutes of contact, which attests the ability of the novel MIP films to recognize and rebind ephedrine.

This paper discusses a novel technique for high-precision refractometric measurements using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). A new SPR sensor configuration is proposed wherein surface plasmon resonance is excited on the metal-coated outside of a bent single mode optical fiber by whispering gallery modes. The conditions for SPR excitation and registration of SPR wavelength are discussed. The best metal for the proposed sensor configuration is found to be silver. Calculations are carried out on the dependence of SPR wavelength on the measured refractive index. The maximum resolution of refractometric measurements by the proposed technique is estimated at ∼10−8.