Nitrogen dioxide gas sensing using surface plasmon resonance sensor

For enhanced sensitivity, a theoretically designed surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based gas sensor employing a BK7 prism, silver (Ag), nickel-zinc ferrite oxide (Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) and zinc oxide (ZnO) is proposed using the Kretschmann configuration. In order to detect a wide range of gaseous analytes, this sensor architecture makes use of the high field confinement and charge transfer properties at the metal-dielectric interfaces. The gas sensor performance parameter is computed using the angular interrogation method in terms of sensitivity, detection accuracy (DA), and figure of merit (FoM). The maximum sensitivity of the suggested gas sensor is found to be 222.51 degrees/RIU below 0.3 (a.u.) at R-min with remarkable FoM. The simulation results indicate that the proposed sensor achieves a maximum sensitivity of 222.51 degrees/RIU at a minimum reflectance of below 0.3 (a.u.), along with a high FoM, signifying its superior detection capability compared to conventional SPR gas sensors. The outcomes of our enhanced numerical analysis demonstrate that performance is enhanced when compared with a traditional gaseous sensor. Additionally, for the detection of NO2 gas, the maximal sensitivity of 245.58 degrees/RIU is attained, demonstrating the sensor's strong potential for selective and precise gas detection. Furthermore, the suggested gas sensor can identify gas analytes with different RI. Therefore, using a BK7 prism with the suggested gas sensor can be more effective for detecting various gases at 633nm wavelengths.