Measurement of refractive index variation by differential surface plasmon resonance technique

A differential detection technique combined with a surface plasmon resonance technique is proposed for refractive index variation measurement. The experimental results demonstrate that our system can attain a resolution of 1.2 × 10^?5 RIU (refractive index unit). In addition, a method for two-dimensional detection of the refractive index variation is demonstrated. The system is free from the influence of optical source fluctuation, and can improve the measurement sensitivity.