(IEEE, 2024) González Salgueiro, Lázaro José; Del Villar, Ignacio; Corres Sanz, Jesús María; Goicoechea Fernández, Javier; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
In this research article, we present a comprehensive investigation into the integration of dielectric and metallic layers on optical waveguides, specifically targeting sensing applications. By utilizing a single bilayer of metal and dielectric on a planar waveguide that meets the conditions of a hyperbolic metamaterial, we significantly enhance the visibility of lossy mode resonances generated with a single dielectric layer, in what can be considered as a hyperbolic mode resonance (HMR), without compromising sensitivity. This improvement leads to an enhanced figure of merit and a reduction of the signal-to-noise ratio.
Real-time evolution of spectra during the dielectric layer deposition allows us to establish a map of the multiple phenomena involved, such as surface plasmon resonance, lossy mode resonance, and mode transition. Combining these phenomena in a single structure leads to an unprecedented enhancement in sensing capabilities, demonstrating the potential of dielectric-metallic layer integration on optical waveguides for advanced sensing applications. Moreover, the optimized sensing performance offers promising opportunities for on-chip sensing devices and various applications in biomedicine, environmental monitoring, and chemical analysis.
