White-light spectral interferometry for surface plasmon resonance sensing applications

A novel differential phase detecting surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on white-light spectral interferometry is presented. Our proposed scheme employs a white-light source for SPR excitation and measures the corresponding SPR phase change at the optimized coupling wavelength with fixed angle of incidence across the visible spectrum. Compared to existing laser based phase detecting schemes, this system offers optimal sensitivity and extended dynamic range of measurement without any compromise in phase detection resolution. Results obtained from sodium chloride solutions indicate that the detection limit is 2.6×10⁻⁷ RIU over a refractive index range of 10⁻² RIU, which is considerably wider than that achievable by existing laser based approach, thus making our scheme very attractive for practical SPR sensing applications.