A highly sensitive and fast response molecular sensor based on graphene coated microfiber

Graphene's featureless optical absorption, ultrahigh carrier mobility and optical modulation capacity would enable a new breed of optical devices with novel photonics characteristics. The complex refractive index (CRI) of graphene can be modulated by its local boundary conditions when molecules are attaching on the surface of the graphene layer, leading to change in the CRI of graphene, which would induce altered properties of the evanescent wave propagating between the graphene film and optical waveguide. In this paper, a novel fiber-optic sensor concept that integrates the graphene film onto a microfiber is proposed to detect the molecular concentration based on TE intensity measurement. The theoretical investigation shows that such a sensor could offer a solution for realization of a variety of high sensitivity and fast response molecular sensing in biological, medical and chemical fields.

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