Type:
Journal
Description:
We report on a method for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refractive index sensing based on direct time-domain measurements. An optical resonator is built around an SPR sensor, and its photon lifetime is measured as a function of loss induced by refractive index variations. The method does not rely on any spectroscopic analysis or direct intensity measurement. Time-domain measurements are practically immune to light intensity fluctuations and thus lead to high resolution. A proof of concept experiment is carried out in which a sensor response to liquid samples of different refractive indices is measured. A refractive index resolution of the current system, extrapolated from the reproducibility of cavity-decay time determinations over 133 s, is found to be about 10^−5 RIU. The possibility of long-term averaging suggests that measurements with a resolution better than 10^−7 RIU/√Hz are within reach.
Publisher:
Optical Society of America
Publication date:
1 Jun 2013
Biblio References:
Volume: 38 Issue: 11 Pages: 1951-1953
Origin:
Optics letters