Surface plasmon resonance in the visible region in sensors based on tapered optical fibers

Doubly deposited uniform-waist tapered optical fibers (DLUWTs) have shown their versatility and good performance as basis for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors for a variety of wavelength ranges. In this work we experimentally show how these devices can be employed to extend the technology of SPR fiber sensors to the visible region, down to about 530 nm, with remarkable results in terms of sensitivity, plasmon definition and the availability of multiple plasmon resonances for each configuration. In this way, DLUWTs can be used to cover a range of more than 1000 nm for aqueous media only by changing the thickness of the deposits. Also, it is shown how these results can be used with the so-called absorption method to make selective the response of the sensors and a study is made on the influence of the taper waist in the performance of the devices. The number of SPR fiber sensors working in the visible region, of great interest in biological research, that have been depicted in the literature is very small, and the sensors that we present here notably improve their performance. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.