Hydrogen sensor based on metallic photonic crystal slabs.

We present a hydrogen sensor based on metallic photonic crystal slabs. Tungsten trioxide (WO(3)) is used as a waveguide layer below an array of gold nanowires. Hydrogen exposure influences the optical properties of this photonic crystal arrangement by gasochromic mechanisms, where the photonic crystal geometry leads to sharp spectral resonances. Measurements reveal a change of the transmission depending on the hydrogen concentration. Theoretical limits for the detection range and sensitivity of this approach are discussed.