DL-UWTs: novel devices for chemical and biological sensing

Abstract

Although many optical fiber sensors have been proposed for chemical, environmental or biological measurements, it seems that the potential of this kind of devices has not been fully exploited. In this paper we discuss the possibilities of doubly-deposited uniform-waist tapered fibers (DL-UWTs) for the development of new sensors that can become a new standard in the field of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) based sensors and contribute to the extension of the range of application of fiber technology to the mentioned fields. We also compare different configuration and evaluate some relevant features of DL-UWTs, as the possibility of fully independence of polarization or the excitation of multiple plasmons.