Lu2O3/h-BN Modified U-Shaped Fiber Optic SPR Sensor With Improved Sensitivity

Rapid and incredibly sensitive analyte detection is crucial in a variety of settings, including medical diagnostics. However, conventional surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors cannot effectively solve the issue of low sensitivity when assaying trace analytes. In this work, the rare Earth oxide Lu2O3 is first introduced to modify fiber optic SPR sensor. By utilizing the inherent advantages of Lu2O3, including high dielectric constant, high breakdown field strength, and high photoelectric conversion efficiency, the electric field around the sensor is effectively increased and high sensitivity detection is achieved. Experimental results show sensitivity of the sensor modified with Lu2O3 nanomaterial reaches 12133.78 nm/RIU in the interval of 1.3614–1.3756. The hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is subsequently introduced to further enhance electric field using the charge transfer mechanism. The sensitivity reaches 15065.92 nm/RIU, 3.96 times better than conventional U-shaped fiber SPR sensors. The sensor is compact designed with high sensitivity. There is significant potential for improving the sensitivity aspect of analyte detection.