Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) fiber sensor research has grown since the first demonstration over 20 year ago into a rich and diverse field with a wide range of optical fiber architectures, plasmonic coatings, and excitation and interrogation methods. Yet, the large diversity of SPR fiber sensor designs has made it difficult to understand the advantages of each approach. Here, we review SPR fiber sensor architectures, covering the latest developments from optical fiber geometries to plasmonic coatings. By developing a systematic approach to fiber-based SPR designs, we identify and discuss future research opportunities based on a performance comparison of the different approaches for sensing applications.

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Plasmonic Fiber Optic Refractometric Sensors: From Conventional Architectures to Recent Design Trends

Research developments of the photonic crystal fiber based surface plasmon resonance (PCF-SPR) chemical sensors were intensively reviewed Photonic crystal fibers, such as the microstructured optical fiber, the photonic bandgap fiber and the Bragg fiber with various structures were applied to the SPR sensors, including fuse-tapered fiber structure, D-type fiber structure and cladding-off fiber structure Those sensors were classified as three kinds of configurations which were respectively based on the inner metal layer, the metallic nanowire and the outer metal film What's more, the principles, superiorities and problems of the PCF-SPR sensors were also discussed in detail

Photonic crystal fiber based surface plasmon resonance chemical sensors

In this article, a D-shaped photonic crystal fiber based surface plasmon resonance sensor is proposed for refractive index sensing. Surface plasmon resonance effect between surface plasmon polariton modes and fiber core modes of the designed D-shaped photonic crystal fiber is used to measure the refractive index of the analyte. By using finite element method, the sensing properties of the proposed sensor are investigated, and a very high average sensitivity of 7700 nm/RIU with the resolution of 1.30 × 10−5 RIU is obtained for the analyte of different refractive indices varies from 1.43 to 1.46. In the proposed sensor, the analyte and coating of gold are placed on the plane surface of the photonic crystal fiber, hence there is no necessity of the filling of voids, thus it is gentle to apply and easy to use.

Highly Sensitive Surface Plasmon Resonance Based D-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber Refractive Index Sensor

We present and numerically characterize a photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. By adjusting the air hole sizes of the PCF, the effective refractive index (RI) of core-guided mode can be tuned effectively and the sensor exhibits strong birefringence. Alternate holes coated with graphene-Ag bimetallic layers in the second layer are used as analyte channels, which can avoid adjacent interference and improve the signal to noise ratio (SNR). The graphene’s good features can not only solve the problem of silver oxidation but also increase the absorption of molecules. We theoretically analyze the influence of the air hole sizes of the PCF and the thicknesses of graphene layer and Ag layer on the performance of the designed sensor using wavelength and amplitude interrogations. The wavelength sensitivity we obtained is as high as 2520 nm/RIU with the resolution of 3.97 × 10−5 RIU, which can provide a reference for developing a high-sensitivity, real-time, fast-response, and distributed SPR sensor.

Analysis of Graphene-Based Photonic Crystal Fiber Sensor Using Birefringence and Surface Plasmon Resonance

Flexibility in engineering holey structures and controlling the wave guiding properties in photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) has enabled a wide variety of PCF-based plasmonic structures and devices with attractive application potential. Metal thin films, nanowires, and nanoparticles are embedded for achieving surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or localized SPR within PCF structures. This paper begins with an outline of plasmonic sensing principles. This is followed by an overview of fabrication and experimental investigation of plasmonic PCFs. Reported plasmonic PCF designs are categorized based on their target application areas, including optical/biochemical sensors, polarization splitters, and couplers. Finally, design and fabrication considerations, as well as limitations due to the structural features of PCFs, are discussed.

Recent advances in plasmonic photonic crystal fibers: design, fabrication and applications

We demonstrate a temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonances supported by photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). Within the PCF, to enhance the sensitivity of the sensor, the air holes of the second layer are filled with a large thermo-optic coefficient liquid and some of those air holes are selectively coated with metal. Temperature variations will induce changes of coupling efficiencies between the fundamental core mode and the plasmonic mode, thus leading to different loss spectra that will be recorded. In this paper, variations of the dielectric constants of all components, including the metal, the filled liquid, and the fused silica, are considered. We conduct numerical calculations to analyze the mode profile and evaluate the power loss, demonstrating a temperature sensitivity as high as 720  pm/°C.

Temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance within selectively coated photonic crystal fiber

A compact temperature sensor based on a selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed using controlled hole collapse in PCF post-processing. The first ring around the core is filled with liquid of higher refractive index than the matrix, while the outer rings of holes are filled with air. The bandgap (BG)-like effect of the high refractive index ring is analyzed. Absorption loss spectra of the fiber are found to be quite sensitive to the refractive index of liquid when the liquid is lossy. Using the BG-like effect, a fiber temperature sensor is fabricated by selectively injecting a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and aqueous gold colloids with a high thermo-optic coefficient to the PCF. Temperature sensitivity up to −5.5  nm/°C is experimentally confirmed.

Temperature sensing using the bandgap-like effect in a selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fiber.

Current research on Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is widely spread to surface adsorption, surface roughness and
other related phenomena. It has also been used in the chemical and biological high-precision detection fields. More and
more high-precision sensors have been created. Supercontinuum (SC) is a laser source with advantages as broad and flat
spectra, high brightness and good coherent characters. By researching the SC laser source based surface plasmon
resonance (SPR) effect, we can get a more comprehensive reflection of the SPR effect from factors as the light intensity
reflectivity and the phase change. The SC laser source based SPR effect is a subject with important theoretical and
practical significance. The testing principles and testing methods of the SPR effect in the installations with the Au-coated
prism structure were studied. Using a SC laser, the wavelength-scanning and angle-scanning methods can be carried out
in one system. The SC laser source based SPR effect in the installations with the Au-coated prism structure was tested.
The SPR effect sensors based on SC were designed and realized. The theoretical results matched with the experimental
results. Through the relation between the refractive index and the resonance wavelength, we could demarcate different
substances.

Surface plasmon resonance sensor based on supercontinuum source

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based photonic crystal fiber (PCF) temperature sensor has demonstrated. The effects of metal film thickness and temperature on the sensor at different wavelength are simulated by using finite element method. Sensor resolution above 200pm/° is demonstrated for a fluoropolymer sensing layer.

Simulation of a surface plasmon resonance based on photonic crystal fiber temperature sensor

We have theoretically investigated supercontinuum (SC) generation with dual-wavelength pumping. The dual-wavelength-pumped source at 1064/686nm generated through four-wave mixing and SC generation have been realized in an all-fiber device. A good agreement between our simulation and experimental results has proved the conjugate action of cross-phase modulation and soliton self-frequency shift can obviously improve the power at the visible wavelengths with group-velocity matching between the visible wave at 686nm and the infrared wave at 1064nm.

Yang Peng

Papers

Temperature sensor based on surface plasmon resonance within selectively coated photonic crystal fiber

Temperature sensing using the bandgap-like effect in a selectively liquid-filled photonic crystal fiber.

Surface plasmon resonance sensor based on supercontinuum source

Simulation of a surface plasmon resonance based on photonic crystal fiber temperature sensor

Supercontinuum Generation with Dual-Wavelengthpumping in an All-Fiber Device