Enhanced sensitivity of guided mode resonance sensor through super-mode excitation at near cut-off diffraction

This work theoretically and experimentally demonstrates sensitivity enhancement in dielectric guided mode resonance (GMR) sensor via controlling a super-mode resonance at nearly cut-off diffraction (or at Rayleigh wavelength.) A bulk refractive index sensitivity can reach the upper limit at the value linearly proportional to the grating's periodicity. Super-mode excitation in the multilayer configuration of the 2D GMR sensor (a high refractive index film coated on a low refractive index imprinted grating) is demonstrated. This concept is verified using numerical calculations: Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) and Homogeneous Waveguide Approximation (HWA). Modal allocation for each resonance in the GMR structure is performed using the approximated four-layer waveguide. The measured super-mode resonance has shown sensitivity enhancement almost three folds of that of the traditional guide mode resonance. Also, this realization occurs in a broad dynamic range through optimization of the structure's parameters. This guarantees a usage in multiple sensing applications.