Hybridized metamaterial platform for nano-scale sensing

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Nanotechnology
• Plasmonics and Metamaterials
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Plasmonic and metamaterial sensors offer high sensitivity, rapid response, and accuracy.
• Subwavelength structures are crucial for advanced optical sensing applications.
• Near-infrared (NIR) domain sensing is important for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose, characterize, and experimentally realize subwavelength bilayer metamaterial sensors.
• To investigate the sensing performance of hybridized modes in the NIR domain.
• To compare the sensitivity and figure-of-merit (FOM) of different plasmonic modes.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations and experimental fabrication of bilayer metamaterial sensors.
• Characterization of sensor performance using optical measurements.
• Analysis of bulk sensitivity (S) and FOM for different hybridized modes.

Main Results:

• Experimental realization of subwavelength bilayer metamaterial sensors operating in the NIR.
• Demonstration that the magnetic dipolar mode exhibits higher sensitivity than the electric dipolar mode.
• A four-fold increase in FOM was observed for the hybridized system compared to standard dipolar plasmonic systems.

Conclusions:

• Bilayer metamaterial sensors offer enhanced performance for refractive index sensing.
• The magnetic dipolar mode is superior for sensing applications due to higher sensitivity.
• These findings pave the way for advanced, high-performance plasmonic sensors.