Surface plasmon interferometer in silicon-on-insulator: novel concept for an integrated biosensor: Reply

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Nanotechnology
• Integrated Optics
• Biosensing Technologies

Background:

• The "Surface plasmon interferometer in silicon-on-insulator: novel concept for an integrated biosensor" paper introduced a new biosensor concept.
• A subsequent comment questioned the calculation method's ability to account for radiation modes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide detailed clarification of the calculation method used in the original paper.
• To address and refute claims made in a related comment regarding the handling of radiation modes.
• To validate the calculation method's robustness through convergence studies.

Main Methods:

• Detailed theoretical analysis of the surface plasmon interferometer calculation.
• Inclusion and analysis of radiation modes within the optical power recapture.
• Performance of convergence studies to demonstrate numerical stability and accuracy.

Main Results:

• Confirmation that the calculation method inherently accounts for radiation modes.
• Demonstration of the method's capability to handle optical power recapture from radiation modes.
• Convergence studies provide strong support for the accuracy and reliability of the calculations.

Conclusions:

• The calculation method for the silicon-on-insulator surface plasmon interferometer is robust and accurately models optical power.
• The method correctly incorporates radiation modes, essential for integrated biosensor performance.
• This work reaffirms the validity of the proposed biosensor concept and its underlying calculation framework.