γ-radiation detector based on the one-dimensional photonic structure composed of PSi layers infused with Bombyx mori silk fibroins

This study presents a method for utilizing defect-free photonic crystals to design gamma-ray radiation sensors. The sensor uses a conventional 1D photonic crystal structure made of alternating porous silicon layers with varying porosity and thickness. By infusing the pores with gamma-ray-exposed silk fibroins, the sensor detects radiation. Exposure to radiation doses of 100 and 300 kGy causes a red shift in the photonic band gap, while a dose of 200 kGy results in a blue shift. The proposed theoretical research work utilizes the fundamental approach of the transfer matrix method (TMM) in addition to Bruggeman’s effective medium equation, and various curve fitting approximations for retrieving the refractive index of the PSi layers of the sensor infused with gamma-ray radiation exposed silk fibroins from experiments data to carry out the simulations. The optimization of the porosity, thickness, period number of PSi layers, and incident angle for TE waves enhance the gamma-ray radiation sensitivity of the sensor. This study demonstrates a significant improvement in sensitivity compared to previous work. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of various photonic sensing designs using defect-free conventional 1D photonic crystals.