Highly Sensitive PCF Based Plasmonic Refractive Index Sensor

This paper proposes a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on photonic crystal fiber (PCF) constructed in a simple structure to attain feasibility in practical implementation. The sensor has been implanted with a microchannel and is capable of detecting analytes within the sensing range of 1.29–1.38. To induce surface plasmon resonance in the exterior of the photonic crystal fiber, gold has been employed as the layer of plasmonic metal for the sensor externally due to its chemical stability. A circular perfectly matched layer has been administered as a boundary condition to the sensor’s outermost layer, to serve the purpose of absorbing the surface radiation. The proposed sensor has been revealed to achieve a maximum wavelength sensitivity of 88,000nm/RIU, through simulations, using numerical analysis and investigations based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). The sensor has also successfully acquired the maximum amplitude sensitivity of 1147 RIU−1. In addition, the minimum resolution of the proposed sensor has been obtained to be 1.14×10−6 RIU, ensuring high analyte detection accuracy. Consequently, the proposed sensor would be widely applicable in accurately detecting biochemical analytes, pharmaceutical inspections, and medical diagnosis.