Early diagnosis of breast cancer with a highly accurate dual-band graphene-based refractive index sensor

This study presents a precise refractive index (RI) sensor based on a dual-band graphene-based absorber for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. The sensor exhibits two strong absorption peaks at 4.58[Formula: see text]THz and 6.25[Formula: see text]THz, with efficiencies of 99.99% and 90%, respectively. Full-wave simulations and a transmission line model were used to assess the sensor’s performance, showing strong consistency. The sensor detects variations in the analyte’s RI, achieving a sensitivity of up to 2.22 THz/RIU and a Figure of Merit (FoM) of 7.7 RIU 1 . The use of a top-gate structure allows dynamic tuning of graphene’s chemical potential, enhancing adaptability. While the study is simulation-based and lacks experimental validation, it demonstrates the potential of this sensor for detecting biological changes, including those associated with breast cancer cells (RI range of 1.3 to 1.4). The simulation was performed using CST software with the FDTD solver. Future experimental validation will be necessary to confirm the device’s real-world applicability.