Analysis of Phase Interrogated SPR Fiber Optic Sensors with Different Bimetallic Combinations

Abstract

Optical fiber sensors based on the phenomenon of plasmonic resonance can be interrogated applying different methods, the most common one being the spectral approach where the measurand information is derived from the reading of the wavelength resonance dip. In principle, a far better performance can be achieved considering the reading of the phase of the light at a specific wavelength located within the spectral plasmonic resonance. This approach is investigated in this work for surface plasmon based fiber optic sensors with overlays which are combinations of bimetallic layers, permitting not only to tune the wavelength of the plasmon resonance but also the sensitivity associated with the phase interrogation of the sensors. The metals considered for the present analysis are silver, gold, copper, and aluminum.