In this communication, we will describe one unique phenomenon and the potential application of it. In this work, the dispersion relation of an air-silver-silicon-silver-fluid (air-Ag-Si-Ag-fluid) five-layer slab is analyzed theoretically, in which the super-long range surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) modes, whose energy penetrates deeply into the fluid, are found with their losses being extremely small and sensitive to the change of the fluid refractive index when operating near their interspace cut-off regions, where the dispersion curves are non-continuous. By applying this phenomenon in detecting the fluid refractive index change, a SPP sensor based on intensity measurement is proposed. It is a waveguide structure with an Ag-Si-Ag slab together with a flow cell filled with the detecting fluid. It is found that a large scale of linear detection (e.g., 0.08, for 1550 nm ~1.33 to 1.41) with high resolution (e.g., 7.9 × 10⁻⁶ Refractive Index Units) can be achieved for a very short device, which is 200 μm.

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1. H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer, 1988).
2. J. Guo, P. D. Keathley, and J. T. Hastings, “Dual-mode surface-plasmon-resonance sensors using angular interrogation,” Opt. Lett. 33(5), 512–514 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. K. A. Tetz, L. Pang, and Y. Fainman, “High-resolution surface plasmon resonance sensor based on linewidth-optimized nanohole array transmittance,” Opt. Lett. 31(10), 1528–1530 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. L. Pang, G. M. Hwang, B. Slutsky, and Y. Fainman, “Spectral sensitivity of two-dimensional nanohole array surface plasmon polariton resonance sensor,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 91(12), 123112 (2007). [CrossRef]
5. M. Vala, S. Etheridge, J. A. Roach, and J. Homola, “Long-range surface plasmons for sensitive detection of bacterial analytes,” Sens. Actuators B Chem. 139(1), 59–63 (2009). [CrossRef]
6. M. Hautakorpi, M. Mattinen, and H. Ludvigsen, “Surface-plasmon-resonance sensor based on three-hole microstructured optical fiber,” Opt. Express 16(12), 8427–8432 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. A. Hassani and M. Skorobogatiy, “Design criteria for microstructured-optical-fiber-based surface-plasmon-resonance sensors,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24(6), 1423–1429 (2007). [CrossRef]
8. L. Ma, T. Katagiri, and Y. Matsuura, “Surface-plasmon resonance sensor using silica-core Bragg fiber,” Opt. Lett. 34(7), 1069–1071 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. R. Y. Wan, F. Liu, and Y. D. Huang, “Ultrathin layer sensing based on hybrid coupler with short-range surface plasmon polariton and dielectric waveguide,” Opt. Lett. 35(2), 244–246 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. D. Sarid, “Long-range surface-plasma waves on very thin metal films,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 47(26), 1927–1930 (1981). [CrossRef]
11. J. J. Burke, G. I. Stegeman, and T. Tamir, “Surface-polariton-like waves guided by thin, lossy metal films,” Phys. Rev. B Condens. Matter 33(8), 5186–5201 (1986). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. R. Zia, M. D. Selker, P. B. Catrysse, and M. L. Brongersma, “Geometries and materials for subwavelength surface plasmon modes,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 21(12), 2442–2446 (2004). [CrossRef]
13. http://www.luxpop.com
14. D. Marcuse, Theory of dielectric optical waveguides (Academic, 1974).
15. J. Homola, S. S. Yee, and G. Gauglitz, “Surface plasmon resonance sensors: review,” Sens. Actuators B Chem. 54(1-2), 3–15 (1999). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• L. Pang, G. M. Hwang, B. Slutsky, and Y. Fainman, “Spectral sensitivity of two-dimensional nanohole array surface plasmon polariton resonance sensor,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 91(12), 123112 (2007). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A

• R. Zia, M. D. Selker, P. B. Catrysse, and M. L. Brongersma, “Geometries and materials for subwavelength surface plasmon modes,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 21(12), 2442–2446 (2004). [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• A. Hassani and M. Skorobogatiy, “Design criteria for microstructured-optical-fiber-based surface-plasmon-resonance sensors,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 24(6), 1423–1429 (2007). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• M. Hautakorpi, M. Mattinen, and H. Ludvigsen, “Surface-plasmon-resonance sensor based on three-hole microstructured optical fiber,” Opt. Express 16(12), 8427–8432 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• L. Ma, T. Katagiri, and Y. Matsuura, “Surface-plasmon resonance sensor using silica-core Bragg fiber,” Opt. Lett. 34(7), 1069–1071 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• R. Y. Wan, F. Liu, and Y. D. Huang, “Ultrathin layer sensing based on hybrid coupler with short-range surface plasmon polariton and dielectric waveguide,” Opt. Lett. 35(2), 244–246 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. Guo, P. D. Keathley, and J. T. Hastings, “Dual-mode surface-plasmon-resonance sensors using angular interrogation,” Opt. Lett. 33(5), 512–514 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. A. Tetz, L. Pang, and Y. Fainman, “High-resolution surface plasmon resonance sensor based on linewidth-optimized nanohole array transmittance,” Opt. Lett. 31(10), 1528–1530 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B Condens. Matter

• J. J. Burke, G. I. Stegeman, and T. Tamir, “Surface-polariton-like waves guided by thin, lossy metal films,” Phys. Rev. B Condens. Matter 33(8), 5186–5201 (1986). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• D. Sarid, “Long-range surface-plasma waves on very thin metal films,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 47(26), 1927–1930 (1981). [CrossRef]

Sens. Actuators B Chem.

• M. Vala, S. Etheridge, J. A. Roach, and J. Homola, “Long-range surface plasmons for sensitive detection of bacterial analytes,” Sens. Actuators B Chem. 139(1), 59–63 (2009). [CrossRef]
• J. Homola, S. S. Yee, and G. Gauglitz, “Surface plasmon resonance sensors: review,” Sens. Actuators B Chem. 54(1-2), 3–15 (1999). [CrossRef]

Other

• H. Raether, Surface Plasmons on Smooth and Rough Surfaces and on Gratings (Springer, 1988).
• http://www.luxpop.com
• D. Marcuse, Theory of dielectric optical waveguides (Academic, 1974).

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