A near infrared plasmonic perfect absorber as a sensor for hemoglobin concentration detection

In this paper, we introduce a new metamaterial structure that perfectly absorbs the electromagnetic wave in a narrow frequency band in the near infrared frequency region. In addition to extensively illustrating the physical mechanism behind this perfect absorbing behavior, we completely investigate the applicability of the proposed structure as a sensitive refractive-index-based sensor, with the highest sensitivity calculated to be 1400 nm/RIU and the highest figure of merit to be 28.57. The sensor has the potential to be used for different useful applications. As an example, we elaborately and in detail, discuss the application of the sensor for hemoglobin concentration detection.

Automated summary

This paper introduces a new metamaterial structure that can perfectly absorb electromagnetic waves in a narrow frequency band in the near infrared region, and evaluates its potential applications as a sensitive refractive-index-based sensor, with high sensitivity and figure of merit values. The detailed discussion on its application for hemoglobin concentration detection further demonstrates its versatility and usefulness in various scenarios.