Controllable plasmonic sensing based on Fano resonance in a cavity coupled defective MDM waveguide

We report a simple plasmonic sensor based on the Fano resonance in a cavity coupled defective metal–dielectric–metal (MDM) waveguide. A theoretical expression for characterizing the sensing property is first derived. We show the formation and evolution of Fano resonance in this cavity coupled waveguide system. Based on the derived theoretical expression and the numerical analysis, we find that the cavity length plays an important role for tuning and optimizing the sensing performance. A highest figure of merit (FOM) of ~6100 is obtained. This plasmonic sensor possesses the advantages of easy fabrication and compactness. The findings and the proposed structure may provide some guidance for the fundamental research of the integrated plasmonic nanosensor applications and designs.