Abstract
This paper reports the fabrication and testing of two configurations of optical sensor systems based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) at the interface of a liquid sample and sandwiched structures realized starting from the exposed core of a Plastic Optical Fiber (POF). The proposed geometries have proven to be suitable for measuring the refractive indexes of liquids whose refractive index falls around 1.35. Furthermore, the proposed sensing head, being low cost and relatively easy to realize, may be very attractive for biosensor implementation.
Highlights
Surface Plasmon Resonance is known to be a very sensitive technique for determining refractive index variations at the interface between a metallic layer and a dielectric medium
In Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensors, the Sensors 2011, 11 transducing media are usually bonded on the metallic layer surface so that, when they react with the target molecules present in the analyte, the refractive index at the outer interface changes, and this change is detected by suitable optical interrogation
The advantage of using Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) is that the properties of POFs, that have increased their popularity and competitiveness for telecommunications, are exactly those that are important for optical sensors based on optical fibers [2]
Summary
Surface Plasmon Resonance is known to be a very sensitive technique for determining refractive index variations at the interface between a metallic layer and a dielectric medium (analyte). In SPR sensors, the Sensors 2011, 11 transducing media (ligands) are usually bonded on the metallic layer surface so that, when they react with the target molecules present in the analyte, the refractive index at the outer interface changes, and this change is detected by suitable optical interrogation. Many different configurations based on SPR in silica optical fibers, are usually found [1]. In the scientific literature there are only simple POF sensors based on laterally polished bent sections prepared along a plastic optical fiber [4,5]. The classic geometry of sensors based on SPR in silica optical fiber is adapted and borrowed for Plastic Optical Fibers, so representing a simple approach to low cost plasmonic sensing. The planar gold layer and refractive index ranging from 1.332 to 1.418 are two good factors for forthcoming biosensors implementation
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