Surface plasmonic polaritonic sensor using a dielectric columnar thin film

The propagation of a surface plasmon polariton (SPP) wave can be guided by the interface of a metal and a columnar thin film (CTF). Theory predicts that the angle of incidence on the prism/metal interface in the Turbadar-Kretschmann- Raether prism-coupled configuration required to excite the SPP wave shifts upon infiltration of the CTF by a fluid. Otherwise identical CTFs of different thicknesses were partnered with dense thin films of aluminum in optical experiments. The angle of incidence for exciting the SPP wave was found to shift to a higher value each time the CTF was infiltrated by a fluid of refractive index of increasing value. Experimental data indicated that the sensor offers a state-of-research sensitivity, thereby proving that a CTF can be a useful platform for SPP-wave-based optical sensing.