Guided-mode-resonance-enhanced measurement of thin-film absorption

We present a numerical and experimental study of a guided-mode-resonance (GMR) device for detecting surface-bound light-absorbing thin films. The GMR device functions as an optical resonator at the wavelength strongly absorbed by the thin film. The GMR mode produces an evanescent field that results in enhanced optical absorption by the thin film. For a 100-nm-thick lossy thin film, the GMR device enhances its absorption coefficients over 26 × compared to a conventional glass substrate. Simulations show the clear quenching effect of the GMR when the extinction coefficient is greater than 0.01. At the resonant wavelength, the reflectance of the GMR surface correlates well with the degree of optical absorption. GMR devices are fabricated on a glass substrate using a surface-relief grating and a titanium-dioxide coating. To analyze a visible absorbing dye, the reflection coefficient of dye-coated GMR devices was measured. The GMR-based method was also applied to detecting acid gases, such as hydrochloric vapor, by monitoring the change in absorption in a thin film composed of a pH indicator, bromocresol green. This technique potentially allows absorption analysis in the visible and infrared ranges using inexpensive equipment.