Multi-modal flexible and inexpensive plasmonic metasurface for wide range of refractive index sensing

A plasmonic metasurface containing nanobumps of sub-wavelength feature size arranged in a hexagonal pattern on a flexible substrate and covered with a thin film of gold is investigated as a refractive index (RI) sensor. The chosen polymer patterns coated with gold aid in activating the surface plasmon polariton modes. Using numerical calculations, it is shown that this surface can exhibit plasmonic effect with extremely shallow pattern height of 92.5 nm and minimal thickness of 25 nm of gold over it. The excitation of the plasmonic modes is confirmed using electric field profiles calculated at the relevant wavelengths. As the surface is highly sensitive to changes in the cladding index, and the chosen design aids in exciting three plasmon modes that are suitably well-separated in wavelength, this surface can be used for an extremely wide range of RI sensing because each mode contributes uniquely to a different range of RI. The results establish that the metasurface is suitable for a variety of applications, including gas detection with a sensitivity of 633 nm RIU−1 using mode-1, identifying SARS-CoV-2 viral molecules with a sensitivity of 428 nm RIU−1 using mode-2 and 238 nm RIU−1 using mode-3, and discriminating between normal and diseased brain tissues in the cerebrospinal fluid in the high-index range using mode-3. The prototype metasurface is made using a cost-effective soft lithography technique using an economical master mould. The inexpensive technique of fabrication, use of very thin metal film, and wavelength of detection lying within the visible to near infrared range imply a low-cost sensor. The structural and optical characterization of the prototype validates the numerical study of the sample.