Role of optical losses in metal–organic framework thin-film-based gas sensors

Abstract

The optical responses of thin-film sensors based on metal–organic framework (MOF) materials can be further enhanced by incorporating them into optical resonators. This work presents an experimental demonstration of humidity sensing using optically lossy MOF integrated thin-film cavities that have sub-wavelength dimensions. Both experimental and simulated results reveal that the interaction between optical loss (the absorption part of the refractive index) in the MOF and the resonance in the cavity plays a crucial role in the sensing behavior.