Novel polarization control scheme for spectral surface plasmon resonance sensors

An analysis of polarization phenomena occurring at surface plasmon resonance is carried out. Based on the results of the analysis, a novel polarization control scheme for spectral surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors based on attenuated total reflection method is proposed which allows observing SPR as a peak in the spectrum of the reflected light. The implementation of this polarization control scheme leads to an SPR sensor based on the measurement of the wavelength at which the light intensity maximum occurs which may be more easy to monitor than the position of an SPR dip. This polarization control scheme is of particular interest for the development of multichannel spectral SPR sensors in which mutually spectrally shifted sensing channels are simultaneously monitored by a spectrum analyzer. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.