Hybrid metal-graphene plasmonic sensor for multi-spectral sensing in both near- and mid-infrared ranges

This paper proposes a hybrid metal-graphene plasmonic sensor which can simultaneously perform multi-spectral sensing in near- and mid-IR ranges. The proposed sensor consists of an array of asymmetric gold nano-antennas integrated with an unpatterned graphene sheet. The gold antennas support sharp Fano-resonances for near-IR sensing while the excitation of graphene plasmonic resonances extend the sensing spectra to the mid-IR range. Such a broadband spectral range goes far beyond previously demonstrated multi-spectral plasmonic sensors. The sensitivity and figure of merit (FOM) as well as their dependence on the thickness of the sensing layer and Fermi energy of graphene are studied systematically. This new type of sensor combines the advantages of conventional metallic plasmonic sensors and graphene plasmonic sensors and may open a new door for high-performance, multi-functional plasmonic sensing.