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Updated: May 13, 2026
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Determination of the Excitation and Coupling Rates Between Light Emitters and Surface Plasmon Polaritons
Published on: July 21, 2018
Short and long range surface plasmon polariton waveguides for xylene sensing
L Brigo1, E Gazzola, M Cittadini
1Industrial Engineering Department and INSTM, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. laura.brigo@unipd.it
Nanotechnology
|March 23, 2013
Summary
This study presents novel nanostructured plasmonic sensors using embedded metallic gratings within a hybrid sol-gel material for detecting aromatic hydrocarbons. The sensor shows a reversible red-shift in response to xylene, demonstrating its potential for sensitive gas detection.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Chemical Sensing
Background:
- Development of sensitive and selective gas sensors is crucial for environmental monitoring and safety.
- Plasmonic sensors offer high sensitivity due to their interaction with light at the nanoscale.
- Hybrid sol-gel materials provide a versatile platform for integrating functional components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize nanostructured plasmonic sensors (SPGs) embedded in phenyl-bridged polysilsesquioxane (ph-PSQ).
- To investigate the sensor's response to aromatic hydrocarbons, specifically xylene.
- To explore the influence of grating orientation on sensor sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of sinusoidal surface plasmon metallic gratings (SPGs) within a porous ph-PSQ sol-gel matrix.
- Experimental and theoretical characterization of the optical properties, focusing on surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs).
- Testing sensor performance by exposing it to 30 ppm xylene and monitoring reflectance changes.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of embedded SPGs within a functional ph-PSQ material.
- Observation of a reversible red-shift (1.9-2.9 nm) in both long-range (LRSPP) and short-range (SRSPP) modes upon xylene exposure.
- Demonstrated enhanced sensitivity with azimuthal rotation of grating grooves, consistent with theoretical predictions of a 0.011 ± 0.005 refractive index change.
Conclusions:
- The developed nanostructured plasmonic sensor exhibits high sensitivity and reversibility for detecting aromatic hydrocarbons.
- The ph-PSQ material's properties enable straightforward fabrication of innovative optical sensors.
- Azimuthal rotation of grating grooves can be utilized to further enhance sensor sensitivity.
