A Highly Sensitive Refractive Index Sensor Based on a V-Shaped Photonic Crystal Fiber with a High Refractive Index Range

This paper proposes a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refractive index sensor based on the photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The optical properties of the PCF are investigated by modulating the refractive index of a liquid analyte. The finite element method (FEM) is used to calculate and analyze the PCF structure. After optimization, the fiber can achieve high linearity of 0.9931 and an average refractive index sensitivity of up to 14,771.4 nm/RIU over a refractive index range from 1.47 to 1.52, with the maximum wavelength sensitivity of 18,000.5 nm/RIU. The proposed structure can be used in various sensing applications, including biological monitoring, environmental monitoring, and chemical production with the modification and analysis of the proposed structure.

Automated summary

This study introduces a highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance refractive index sensor based on photonic crystal fiber, with high linearity and refractive index sensitivity achieved through optimized PCF structure. The sensor can be applied in various fields such as biological monitoring, environmental monitoring, and chemical production.