Research

Interference between plasmonic modes offers a promising way to combine strong light–matter interaction with a compact sensing footprint. In doped-silicon waveguides, these modes respond differently to their surroundings, creating spectral features that can reveal changes in refractive index. Carefully tailoring the waveguide geometry and mode excitation enables sensitive biological and chemical sensing within a miniaturized probe.

Our theoretical studies explore how optical confinement and modal interference can reduce probe lengths to approximately 100 µm while maintaining a pronounced sensing response. An additional focus is separating temperature effects from changes in the sensing medium through multiple spectral resonances. Together, these directions support the design of compact plasmonic sensors capable of measuring more than one parameter with a single probe.