Angle modulated surface plasmon resonance spectrometer for refractive index sensing with enhanced detection resolution

We design and manufacture an angle modulated surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectrometer with high detection resolution for refractive index sensing. The presented SPR spectrometer is based on a five-layer Kretchmann configuration. To enhance the sensitivity and resolution of the SPR spectrometer, we introduce a reference beam into the system, which has improved the stability of the system by nearly one order of magnitude. Numerical simulation and experimental study are presented and the results show that a sensitivity of 85 degrees/RIU (refractive index unit) and a good repeatability (standard deviation=3.7×10−6 RIU) have been achieved.