Enhancement of the SPR Effect in an Optical Fiber Device Utilizing a Thin Ag Layer and a 3092A Liquid Crystal Mixture

Citation

Korec, J.; Stasiewicz, K.A.; Garbat, K.; Jaroszewicz, L.R. (2021). Enhancement of the SPR Effect in an Optical Fiber Device Utilizing a Thin Ag Layer and a 3092A Liquid Crystal Mixture. Molecules, 26(24), 7553. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247553

Keywords

• SPR effect enhancement
• 3092A liquid crystal mixture
• Thin silver film (10 nm)
• Tapered optical fiber (TOF)
• Low refractive index liquid crystal
• Liquid crystal cell (LCC)
• Orthogonal, parallel, and twist liquid crystal cell arrangements
• Steering voltage (0-200 V)
• Resonant peaks
• Peak width reduction
• Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
• Adiabatic shape (of tapered fiber)
• Evanescent field
• Dielectric permittivity (ε)
• Refractive index (RI)
• Birefringence (of liquid crystals)
• Dynamic characteristics (of LCC)

Brief

This article demonstrates the enhancement of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect in a tapered optical fiber device by using a thin silver layer instead of gold and surrounding it with a low refractive index liquid crystal mixture (3092A), showing improvements in resonant peak shift, width reduction, absorption, and signal-to-noise ratio, particularly with twisted liquid crystal cell configurations.

Summary

This article explores enhancing the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect in a tapered optical fiber device by using a thin silver layer (10 nm) instead of gold and a low refractive index liquid crystal (3092A). The study found that using silver, compared to previous work with gold, resulted in a shift of resonant peaks, a reduction in peak width (by at least 50%), and an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) across different liquid crystal cell configurations (orthogonal, parallel, and twist). The twisted cell configuration showed the best parameters for peak width reduction and SNR. Overall, the research indicates an enhancement of the SPR effect with the silver layer, suggesting potential for tunable filters and sensors, though further investigation is needed for practical applications.

Origin: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247553