Sensitive One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal Refractometric Temperature Sensor with Central Superconducting Layer

Abstract

This work proposes a sensitive low-temperature sensor based on the refractive index (RI) method. It uses a one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal (PC) structure. The proposed sensor design consists of a bilayer stack of dielectric and superconductor materials. YaBa2Cu3O7 is the superconductor utilized in this case, and we consider air to be the dielectric material. The RI of air doesn’t change much with the temperature, especially compared to the superconductor material. YaBa2Cu3O7 is a superconductor that is ideal for temperature sensing applications because of its temperature-dependent RI. The sensing temperature range for the proposed sensor is 35–70[Formula: see text]K. The crucial structural factors have been precisely adjusted to increase sensing performance. Based on our knowledge, this is done to increase the sensor’s efficiency to levels that are higher than anything previously reported in the literature. Results show that the designed structure achieves an impressive RI sensitivity of 821.53[Formula: see text]nm/RIU and a temperature sensitivity of 3[Formula: see text]nm/K. This sensor could be very useful for medical applications for the detection of low temperatures.