Polarimetric-Phase-Enhanced Intensity Interrogation Scheme for Surface Wave Optical Sensors with Low Optical Loss

A polarimetric-phase-enhanced intensity interrogation scheme leveraging the polarization-dependent sharp phase change induced by the surface wave excitation at a low-optical-loss sensor’s surface is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Based on a simple setup with no moving parts during interrogation, a polarimetric-phase-enhanced intensity can be obtained by subtracting the reflected intensities of two beam polarization states. Our results show a ~4-fold sensitivity increase compared to traditional intensity detection schemes for similar sensors. As novel surface wave optical sensors are designed and engineered with optimized phase responses, this scheme offers a low-complexity solution for such devices instead of traditional phase interrogation schemes.