OPTICAL LIGHTWAVE SENSOR BASED ON RESONANT OPTICAL EXCITATION OF SURFACE PLASMA WAVES

摘要

The invention relates to an optical lightguide sensor based on resonant optical excitation of surface plasma waves and to a device and process for operating the sensor. The use as per the invention of an alloy (15), preferably a heterogeneous alloy, instead of a pure metal as the carrier layer for monochromatically excited surface plasma wave results in sensitive sensors with adjustable operating points. Planar multimode waveguides in particular are suitable for sensors of the type claimed and can be used to create multisensor systems in a simple way. The core element of devices adapted to the operation of the claimed sensors is an optical interface with which the principal angle and angular distribution of the light coupled into the sensor can be set. This facilitates further improvement of the sensitivity of the sensor device. The sensor operating point can also be modified via the optical interface.