Plasmonic sensor realized on a metal-insulator-metal waveguide configuration for refractive index detection

In this work, a plasmonic sensor established on a metal insulator-metal waveguide configuration is proposed and numerically investigated for biosensing applications. The spectral and sensing characteristics of the device are examined via the two-dimensional finite element method. Sensitivity (S-bulk) and figure of merit (FOM) are two important parameters that are considered to determine the device performance. The S-bulk of the device is considered as a ratio between the change in resonance wavelength and a change in the ambient refractive index. Whereas FOM is the ratio of S-bulk to full width at half maximum. The S-bulk and FOM offered by the device are similar to 825.7nm/RIU and similar to 13.14, respectively. This work can provide a guideline for the realization of highly sensitive plasmonic sensing devices.