High performance SPR sensor using 2-D materials: A treatise on design aspects, material choice and figure of merit

Abstract

2D material-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors have piqued attention of the researchers due to their enhanced sensitivity. The performance characteristics of a 2D material-based SPR sensor in angular and spectral interrogation were extensively studied using simulations in this work. The performance parameters were studied with various existing configurations and a new design using Cu with 2D materials was proposed for enhanced performance. A treatise of various design aspects, material choices was performed to conclude on a sensor design with the highest figure of merit (FOM). Substituting the silver metal layer with a copper metal layer increased the FOM by around 3.3–3.6 times. Field profiles were also evaluated, resulting in a 1.15–1.17-fold improvement over the standard designs. The present study provides a detailed overview on the 2D material integrated SPR sensors and can be useful for development of high performance biosensors.