Embossable grating couplers for planar evanescent wave sensors

The paper presents the characterization of a composite uniform/gradient waveguide sensor structure. The results of theoretical analysis and experimental studies have been presented. The influence of sensor structure parameters on homogenous sensitivity and on surface sensitivity has been analyzed. Gradient layers for composite sensor structures were produced using the ion-exchange method, and the uniform layers, using the sol-gel method. In the experimental studies, involving the produced sensor structures, a prism coupler and a grating coupler were applied. Excellent agreement between the results of theoretical analysis and experimental studies has been achieved.