Tunable and high-sensitivity sensing based on Fano resonance with coupled plasmonic cavities

Tunable and high-sensitivity sensing based on Fano resonance is analytically and numerically investigated in coupled plasmonic cavities structure. To analyze and manipulate the Fano line shape, the coupled cavities are taken as a composite cavity that supports at least two resonance modes. A theoretical model is newly-established, and its results agree well with the finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations for the plasmonic stub-pair structure. The detection sensitivity factor in coupled cavities approaches 6.541 × 107 m−1, which is an order of magnitude larger than single stub case. In addition, the wavelengths of resonant modes in the plasmonic stub-pair structure can be adjusted independently, which paves a new way for improving detection sensitivity. These discoveries hold potential applications for realizing tunable and highly integrated photonic devices.