Microdisk sensor based on double negative metamaterials

Abstract

In this article, a microdisk sensor coated with a double negative metamaterial (DNM) layer is studied. The dispersion relation of the cylindrical dielectric waveguide coated with a DNM layer is derived. The electric field distributions and resonant frequencies of the corresponding whispering gallery mode are computed and simulated, and its quality factors are obtained using finite element method. Numerical results of resonant frequency and electric field distribution are in good agreement with the analytical results. We show that the sensitivity of the DNM microdisk sensor is about 12 times higher than the one of the microdisk resonator sensor in both homogeneous sensing and surface sensing, and the increasing thickness of the DNM leads to a further improvement of sensitivity. Moreover, the Q factor of the DNM microdisk resonator can be tailored by tuning the coupling distance between the straight waveguide and microdisk. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 22:512–521, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.