A fiber-optic microdevice for surface plasmon resonance sensing using a chemically-etched single-mode fiber

Our recent improvements of a fiber-optic microdevice for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing are described. Fabrication of the SPR microdevice is based on near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) technology using a chemically-etched optical fiber. The detection principle is based on polarization rotation caused by the SPR phenomenon. The SPR sensor device responds to a repetitive change in the refractive index between methanol and ethanol The response mechanism's discussed for further improvements.