Spectral Analysis of a SPR Sensor based on Multilayer Graphene in the Far Infrared Range

Abstract

In this paper, we present a spectral analysis of a Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor based on multilayer graphene (MLG) operating as a terahertz refractometer. This device's structure is based on Kretschmann configuration, and the graphene layers are modeled as surface impedances with conductivity described by the Kubo model. The structure's electromagnetic response is obtained from the Generalized Coefficients Model, considering TM excitation performed in a frequency range from 1 to 4Thz. In this approach, we evaluate the sensor response for two, three, four and five layers of graphene, equally doped. To verify the effects of MLG doping, we varied the chemical potential by 0.35eV and 0.70eV. As a result, we present the plasmonic response of the device, verifying the operating frequency range for each case of multilayer graphene. In addition, the sensitivity, FWHM and Figure of Merit (FOM) are calculated to describe the sensor performance in each demonstrated case. From the results presented, we verified that the increase in doping reduces the sensitivity of the sensor, however, it improves its FOM. The validation of the proposed model was carried out from simulations in a software based on the Finite Element Method.

Index Terms
SPR sensor; Kretschmann configuration; Multilayer Graphene; Terahertz range