Design of ultrasensitive plasmonic multilayer structure in gas-sensing applications

By utilizing the unique features of metasurfaces and the improved light-matter interaction at the nanoscale, this method opens the possibilities to efficient gas sensing technologies that have uses in industrial safety, healthcare, and environmental monitoring. This work explores the integration of plasmonic material nanoparticle absorbers into metasurface layers for gas sensing applications. Metasurfaces' sub-wavelength structures offer a platform for extremely accurate electromagnetic wave manipulation. The sensitivity of gas sensors can be increased by integrating nanoparticles with strong plasmonic or dielectric layers into these metasurfaces. These absorbers nanoparticles are made to strongly absorb light at particular visible spectrum wavelengths that match the resonance frequencies of the target gas molecules. The resonance of the metasurface system changes as a result of the surrounding refractive index changing when the gas molecules stick to the nanoparticle surface. A functional polymer can be utilized to capture the target gas molecules for low concentrations to alter the refractive index of the surrounding medium around the nanoparticle making the shift in the resonance. An accurate measurement of gas concentration is provided by this shift. A highly responsive, real-time monitoring sensor that can identify low concentrations of different gases is produced when metasurfaces and nanoparticle absorbers are combined.