%0 Journal Article %1 kmpf2012magnetooptic %A Kämpf, K. %A Kübler, S. %A Herberg, F. W. %A Ehresmann, A. %D 2012 %I AIP %J Journal of Applied Physics %K herberg myown %N 3 %P 034505 %T Magneto-optic surface plasmon resonance optimum layers: Simulations for biological relevant refractive index changes %U http://link.aip.org/link/?JAP/112/034505/1 %V 112 %X The transfer matrix method is used to simulate the magneto-optic surface plasmon resonance (MOSPR) of Au/Co/Au trilayer systems focused on the magneto-optic activity in transverse configuration. The results show a strong thickness dependence of the normalized difference of reflectivity at opposite directions of the magnetization (δ-signal) and a strong change of the δ-signal with the refractive index n of the biologically active layer. Within a range of the refractive index typically covered by a commercial SPR biosensor (n = 1.33-1.40), the magnitude of the δ-signal of an Au(10.75 nm)/Co(6 nm)/Au(20.25 nm) trilayer decreases from small to large n by a factor >63. This finding demonstrates that the enhanced sensitivity of an MOSPR biosensor can be exploited only by defined thicknesses of the metal layers for distinct refractive index regions.