Preparation and characterization of a silver-magnesium fluoride bi-layers based fiber optic surface plasmon resonance sensor

The influence of thickness of silver-magnesium fluoride bi-layers on the sensitivity of SPR based fiber optic sensor has been experimentally examined. The sensitivity is enhanced with increasing magnesium fluoride layer thickness up to 30 nm and decreases at values exceeding 30 nm. The optimum thickness of magnesium fluoride layer was determined to be 30 nm. A sensor fabricated from bi-layers of 40 nm thick silver and 30 nm thick magnesium fluoride demonstrated favorable sensing behavior.