Design and Optimization of Dolmen-like Nanoantenna on Silicon Dioxide for Sensing Applications

Abstract

We present the development of an infrared sensor based on a meta surface utilizing Dolmen plasmonic nanostructures. This meta surface is engineered to enhance the absorption of infrared light at a specific wavelength. The sensor is optimized for high sensitivity and selectivity in the infrared spectrum. This straightforward meta surface sensor shows promise for various applications, including gas sensing, biosensing, and security. The design is compact and easy to fabricate with studied fabrication tolerance ensuring reliable performance. The sensor was tested for water-based sensing applications, and we tested its performance by using different materials such as ZrN, TiN, Cr, and Au on silicon dioxide. In a separate configuration, a gold nanostructure was fabricated on a silicon layer over a silicon dioxide base to examine the resulting plasmonic response. The results surpass those of other water quality sensors, underscoring the potential of this design for high-performance sensing. The sensor’s high sensitivity and low fabrication costs make it a promising technology for future sensing and monitoring applications.