Low-loss dielectric-loaded graphene surface plasmon polariton waveguide based biochemical sensor

We have modeled and numerically simulated the performance of a dielectric-loaded graphene surface-plasmon-polariton (DL-GSPP) waveguide as a biochemical sensing device. In our device, the conventionally used gold layer is replaced with a graphene microribbon for the detection of biochemical molecules. The graphene layer is incorporated to minimize ohmic losses and to enhance the adsorption of biomolecules so that the sensor sensitivity is increased significantly. The sensor performance is quantified through numerical simulations carried out by varying device parameters such as waveguide length, effective mode index, dimension of the dielectric ridge, and the length and the number of graphene layers. One of the prominent features of our DL-GSPP waveguide sensor is that its length is in the millimeter range, an essential requirement for realistic plasmonic waveguide sensors. The average sensitivity of DL-GSPP structure is found to be in the range of 3-6 µRIU (refractive index units), which is comparable to the values obtained using surface-plasmon resonance (1-10 µRIU) and long-range waveguide sensors (0.1-5 µRIU).