Periodic stub implementation with plasmonic waveguide as a slow-wave coupled cavity for optical refractive index sensing

Abstract

Optical biosensors based on plasmonic nanostructures have attracted great interest due to their ability to detect small refractive index changes with high sensitivity. In this work, a novel plasmonic coupled cavity waveguide is proposed for refractive index sensing applications. The structure consists of a metal–insulator–metal waveguide side coupled to an array of asymmetric H-shape element, designed to provide dual-band resonances. The sharp transmission dips and large field enhancements associated with dual-band resonances can enable sensitive detection of material under test. The resonator array creates a slow light effect to improve light-matter interactions. The structure was simulated using the finite integration technique as the full-wave technique, and the sensitivity and figure of merit were extracted for different ambient refractive indices. The maximum sensitivity of 1774 nm/RIU and high figure of merit of 2 × 104 RIU−1 for the basic model and 1.15 × 105 RIU−1 for the modified model were achieved, demonstrating the potential for high-performance sensing. The unique transmission characteristics also allow for combined spectral shaping and detection over a broad bandwidth. The simple, compact geometry makes the design suitable for on-chip integration. This work demonstrates a promising refractive index sensor based on coupled dual-band resonators in a plasmonic waveguide.