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Ultrasensitive tapered optical fiber refractive index glucose sensor
Erem Ujah1,2, Meimei Lai1, Gymama Slaughter3,4
1Center for Bioelectronics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA.
Scientific Reports
|March 19, 2023
Summary
Highly sensitive refractive index sensors were fabricated using tapered optical fibers (TOFs) coated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). These AuNP-decorated TOFs demonstrate enhanced sensitivity for label-free optical biosensing, particularly for glucose detection.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Biosensing
- Nanomaterials for Sensing Applications
Background:
- Refractive index (RI) sensors are crucial for label-free optical biosensing.
- Tapered optical fibers (TOFs) with micron-sized waists enhance sensitivity by reducing mode volume.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple and fast method for fabricating highly sensitive RI sensors.
- To investigate the performance of gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-coated TOFs for glucose sensing using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR).
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of TOFs with 5 µm and 12 µm waist diameters.
- Coating TOFs with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to create an active sensing layer.
- Utilizing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) generated by AuNPs and evanescent wave interaction for glucose detection.
Main Results:
- AuNP-decorated TOFs exhibited significantly enhanced sensitivity for glucose sensing compared to bare TOFs.
- A 5 µm waist TOF showed a sensitivity of 1265%/RIU, while a 12 µm waist TOF achieved 560%/RIU.
- The AuNP-decorated 12 µm TOF demonstrated a high sensitivity of 2032%/RIU, a nearly 4-fold enhancement.
Conclusions:
- The AuNP-decorated TOF sensor enables ultrasensitive glucose detection with good stability and fast response.
- This technology holds potential for next-generation ultrasensitive biosensors in applications like disease diagnosis.
