High Performance Dual-Core D-Shaped PCF Refractive Index Sensor Coated with Gold Grating

In this study, a dual−core D-shaped photonic crystal fiber (PCF) surface plasmon resonance sensor coated with gold grating is designed and analyzed using the finite-element method (FEM). The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect between the fiber core modes and surface plasmon polariton (Spp) modes is used to measure the analyte refractive index. The effects of the PCF structure parameters (polishing depths, large holes, and small holes) and grating parameters (grating heights, grating periods, and grating duty) are discussed, and a two-feature interrogation method that combines wavelength and intensity interrogations is introduced to enhance the resolution. The results show that the grating and dual-core play important roles in enhancing the sensor properties. The proposed sensor achieves an average wavelength sensitivity of 994.5 nm/RIU when the analyte refractive index increases from 1.33 to 1.37. Furthermore, a maximum amplitude sensitivity of 181.049 RIU−1 is obtained. The two-feature interrogation is determined to have a resolution of 2.03 × 10−6 RIU, which is better than the wavelength and amplitude interrogations. The proposed sensor has a good sensing performance and is highly suitable for practical applications.