Novel Plasmonic-based D-shaped Fiber-optic Sensor for Detecting Milk Fat and Melamine Concentration

Abstract

Melamine is a form of plastic that can be detrimental to human health because it can result in serious kidney issues and additional problems with the urinary system. Short- and long-term exposure can result in severe health issues, requiring strict regulation and proactive measures to safeguard public health. Hence, this paper investigates the detection of melamine in its early stages using a D-shaped optical fiber-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor with the use of a bimetallic nano-grating layer of gold (Au) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅). Au is utilized to stimulate the surface plasmons, while Ta₂O₅ is employed with Au to improve the sensing capability. By utilizing our suggested SPR sensor for assessing fat and melamine levels, we attain a peak wavelength sensitivity (WS) of 25125 nm/RIU and 20244.898 nm/RIU, a figure of merit (FoM) of 405.24 RIU⁻¹ and 351.489 RIU⁻¹, and a detection accuracy (DA) of 18.18 and 20 µm⁻¹, sequentially. The fabrication process and experimental viability of the suggested sensor have been thoroughly examined. Additionally computed is the tolerance variance of the designed parameters influencing the sensor’s performance. The results show that the proposed optical fiber-based SPR sensor shows great promise in the food industry.