Low-cost and large-size nanoplasmonic sensor based on Fano resonances with fast response and high sensitivity

We have developed a low-cost, fast and sensitive plasmonic sensor with a large-size for easy handling. The sensor is formed by a Au nanobelt grating fabricated by soft lithography with a period of 780 nm and a width of 355 nm in an even and uniform area of ~2 × 2 cm². The sensor uses the Fano-shaped third order mode localized plasmon resonance of the Au nanobelts, which appears in the visible part of the transmission spectrum. We have found a detection resolution of 1.56 × 10^-5 refractive index units with a temporal resolution of 1 s in a sensing area of 0.75 × 0.75 mm². The high uniformity and size of the sensor permit the detection using a simple optical system, which provides the device with the potential to be used as an easy to handle, portable and disposable sensor.