Terahertz sensing in a hollow core photonic crystal fiber

Abstract

A terahertz sensor based on a hollow core photonic crystal fiber has been proposed in this paper for chemical analyte detection in the terahertz frequency range. The Zeonex-based asymmetrical hollow core is filled with an analyte and surrounded by a number of asymmetrical rectangular air holes bounded by a perfectly matched layer with absorbing boundary conditions. The performance of the proposed sensor is numerically investigated by using finite element method-based COMSOL software. It is found that a hollow core provides a high relative sensitivity as well as low transmission loss. Moreover, simplicity in design facilitates manufacturability, making it practical for a number of different biological and industrial applications.