A surface plasmon based chemooptical sensor has been optimized by the use of computer simulation programs. Calculated and experimentally measured performances are in good agreement, showing the value of the simulation tool.

Abstract.Two novel types of planar waveguide sensors for the chemical domain are introduced. Both are realized by thin film technologies. They consist of multilayered structures coated by a very thin organic overlayer that is able to absorb the species to be measured out of the environment. This absorbtion results in a change in its dielectric function. In the first sensor to be demonstrated this change is measured using a surface plasmon mode as a probe. In the second one the radiationless energy transfer from luminescent centres incorporated in one of the layers to the overlayer serves as a probe.

The feasibility of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for ion sensing has been investigated. Emphasis is laid on a simulation-based optimization of the SP carrying structure, as well as the applicability of a specific chemo-optical interface we have developed. A preliminary result is presented.

Two mutual inductance bridges are described for operation up to about 100 kHz. Special attention is paid to the sensitivity and resolution of the bridges. Both bridges can be used to measure variations of about 10 pH in the mutual inductance. The first bridge consists of passive elements only whereas the second bridge is equipped with active circuits.

This paper describes how to calculate the power distribution emitted by luminescent particles which are mixed in the film of the waveguide, i.e., the percentage of the power transported by each guided mode, emitted to the cladding and the substrate. For our sample, they are -20%, 25%, and 55% separately. Some calculated results have been proved: the powers of the TE and TM modes of the luminescent waveguide in the same order are almost the same; the order of the film mode is lower; its power is larger.