Integrated Plasmo-Photonic Sensor with Voltage-Controlled Detection

In this paper, we propose and analyze a waveguide-integrated interferometric sensor in which interference occurs between two plasmonic modes propagating in a single plasmonic waveguide. For the purpose of sensing, the vertical plasmonic slot waveguide was rearranged by increasing the distance between the metal electrodes. Consequently, the plasmonic modes associated with each metal electrode have been separated, enabling them to propagate independently on opposing edges of metal electrodes, which allows for the implementation of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The metal electrodes that support the plasmonic modes can also function as electrical contacts. By applying a direct current (DC) voltage between them, it is possible to efficiently separate ions that drift to one of the metal electrodes. Consequently, any change in transmission from the interferometer refers only to the amount of ions in a liquid, as the output signal from the interferometer is normalized to a liquid by the reference arm, which is in direct contact with the examined liquid solution. The total amount of ions in the examined liquid remains constant; however, what changes is their distribution in the gap as the ions drift toward one of the metal electrodes when a voltage is applied. The proposed configuration is highly sensitive to variations in transmission between the two arms of the interferometer, enabling a record sensitivity of over 12460 nm/RIU, even at the telecom wavelength of 1550 nm. A further enhancement in sensitivity is expected in the mid-infrared wavelengths, which correspond to the maximum absorption peaks of most chemical and biological compounds.