To read this content please select one of the options below:

Enhanced sensitivity of fiber SPR sensor by metal nanoparticle

Chunlan Liu (Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China and Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)
Yang Gao (Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China)
YaChen Gao (Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China)
Yong Wei (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)
Ping Wu (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)
Yudong Su (Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China)

Sensor Review

ISSN: 0260-2288

Article publication date: 31 March 2020

Issue publication date: 21 July 2020

430

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to clarify the relationship between the performance of the metal nanoparticles and the sensitivity of the fiber surface plasma resonance (SPR) sensor. It proposes modeling the sensing effects of a single-mode fiber SPR sensor with a cone angle structure decorated with metal nanoparticles. This study uses the metal nanoparticles to the realize enhanced sensitivity of refractive index sensing.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper opted for an exploratory study using a simulation approach of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD). Specifically, the effect of size, the material and the shape of the metal nanoparticle on sensing performance are investigated theoretically.

Findings

In conclusion, it is evident that the localized SPR (LSPR) effect weakens as the diameter of the gold nanosphere increases, the SPR effect enhances and the SPR sensitivity increases first and then decreases. The metal nanoparticle with the different materials and different shapes also have different LSPR and SPR sensitivity and wavelength length dynamic range. The investigation shows that, by changing parameters, the reflection spectra of the fiber SPR sensor exhibit an obvious transition from LSPR to SPR characteristics, and enhanced sensitivity of the refractive index is realized.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an identified need to study how the sensitivity of the fiber SPR sensor can be enhanced by the metal nanoparticle. After the optimization of parameters, the sensitivity of 5,140 nm/RIU is achieved, which provides a new research direction for sensitivity enhancement of fiber SPR sensor.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61307104,61405044, 61705025); General Program for Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (No. cstc2018jcyjAX0817; cstc2019jcyj-msxmX0431); Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province (F2018027); Program for Innovation Team Building at Institutions of Higher Education in Chongqing (CXTDX201601034); Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Institutions of Higher Education (Grant No. [2017]3); Program of Chongqing Development and Reform Commission (Grant No. 2017[1007]); Science and Technology Project Affiliated to the Education Department of Chongqing Municipality (No. KJQN201801217, KJQN201901226, KJ1710247); and Fundamental Research Funds for Chongqing Three Gorges University of China (No. 19ZDPY08).

Citation

Liu, C., Gao, Y., Gao, Y., Wei, Y., Wu, P. and Su, Y. (2020), "Enhanced sensitivity of fiber SPR sensor by metal nanoparticle", Sensor Review, Vol. 40 No. 3, pp. 355-361. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-12-2019-0310

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles