High Resolution and Sensitivity Negative Curvature Hollow Core Fiber Refractive Index Sensor Based on LSPR

A negative curvature hollow core fiber (NCHCF) refractive index (RI) sensor based on localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is proposed. The gold nanowires are deposited in four cladding tubes in the y-direction, with the core region serving as the analyte channel. The full vector finite element method (FEM) is used to analyze the influence of various structural parameters on this sensor, and the structural parameters are optimized and selected. Ultimately, an average sensitivity of 9356.59 nm/RIU is accomplished within a spacious refractive index detection scope of RI = 1.28–1.43. The sensor attained a maximum sensitivity of 10,220 nm/RIU at RI = 1.36. In the bargain, there is an excellent linear correlation between the resonance wavelength and the refractive index of the analyte, with a value of 0.99901 and a factor of merit (FOM) range of 119.9563–155.9432 RIU⁻¹, achieving a resolution of 10⁻⁶ RIU. The sensor has potential applications in various fields such as environmental protection, food safety, and medical diagnostics due to its high sensitivity, spacious detection scope, and positive linear response.