Sensors, Vol. 20, Pages 1009: A Large Detection-Range Plasmonic Sensor Based on An H-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber (Sensors)

An H-shaped photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed for detecting large refractive index (RI) range which can either be higher or lower than the RI of the fiber material used. The grooves of the H-shaped PCF as the sensing channels are coated with gold film and then brought into direct contact with the analyte, which not only reduces the complexity of the fabrication but also provides reusable capacity compared with other designs. The sensing performance of the proposed sensor is investigated by using the finite element method. Numerical results show that the sensor can work normally in the large analyte RI (na) range from 1.33 to 1.49, and reach the maximum sensitivity of 25,900 nm/RIU (RI units) at the na range 1.47–1.48. Moreover, the sensor shows good stability in the tolerances of 10% of the gold-film thickness.