Photonic spin Hall effect and terahertz gas sensor via InSb-supported long-range surface plasmon resonance

We propose a simple one-dimensional grating coupling system that can excite multiple surface plasmon resonances for refractive index(RI)sensing with self-reference characteristics in the near-infrared band.Using theoretical analysis and the finite-difference time-domain method,the plasmonic mechanism of the structure is discussed in detail.The results show that the excited resonances are independent of each other and have different fields of action.The mode involving extensive interaction with the analyte environment achieves a high sensitivity of 1236 nm/RIU,and the figure of merit(FOM)can reach 145 RIU-1.Importantly,the mode that is insensitive to the analyte environment exhibits good self-reference characteristics.Moreover,we discuss the case of exchanging the substrate material with the analyte environment.Promising simulation results show that this RI sensor can be widely deployed in unstable and complicated environments.

Photonic spin Hall effect and terahertz gas sensor via InSb-supported long-range surface plasmon resonance

The photonic spin Hall effect (SHE), featured by a spin-dependent transverse shift of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light, holds great potential for applications in optical sensors, precise metrology and nanophotonic devices. In this paper, we present the significant enhancement of photonic SHE in the terahertz range by considering the InSb-supported long-range surface plasmon resonance (LRSPR) effect. The influences of the InSb/ENZ layer thickness and temperature on the photonic SHE were investigated. With the optimal structural parameters and temperature, the maximal spin shift of the horizontal polarization light can reach up to 2.68 mm. Moreover, the spin shift is very sensitive to the refractive index change of gas, and thus a terahertz gas sensing device with a superior intensity sensitivity of 2.5×10⁵ μm/RIU is proposed. These findings provide an effective method to enhance the photonic SHE in the terahertz range and therefore offer the opportunity for developing the terahertz optical sensors based on photonic SHE.