Symmetric groove-based PCF-SPR for red blood cell detection

Abstract This study employs the Finite Element Method (FEM) to evaluate the performance of a proposed surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor for real-time monitoring of human red blood cell (RBC) status. The sensor features a symmetrical groove structure, with an internal arrangement of air holes of two different diameters forming a hexagonal lattice. This unique design effectively excites the surface plasmon resonance effect. The results indicate that within the refractive index (RI) range of 1.39 to 1.43, the sensor achieves a maximum wavelength sensitivity (WS) of 28,000 nm RIU −1 , a highest resolution of 3.57 × 10 −6 RIU, and a figure of Merit (FOM) of 589 RIU −1 . The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, a dedicated detection range, strong stability, and a simple structure, demonstrating significant potential for applications in the biomedical field.