The paper is a review of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) structures containing amorphous chalcogenide (ChG) films as plasmonic waveguides. The calculation method and specific characteristics obtained for four-layer SPR structures containing films made of amorphous As₂S₃ and As₂Se₃ are presented. The paper is mainly based on our previously obtained and published scattered results, to which a generalized point of view was applied. In our analysis, we demonstrate that, through proper choice of the SPR structure layer parameters, we can control the resonance angle, the sharpness of the SPR resonance curve, the penetration depth, and the sensitivity to changes in the refractive index of the analyte. These results are obtained by operating with the thickness of the ChG film and the parameters of the coupling prism. Aspects regarding the realization of the coupling prism are discussed. Two distinct cases are analyzed: first, when the prism is made of material with a refractive index higher than that of the waveguide material; second, when the prism is made of material with a lower refractive index. We demonstrated experimentally that the change in reflectance self-induced by the modification in As₂S₃ refractive index exhibits a hysteresis loop. We present specific results regarding the identification of alcohols, hydrocarbons, and the marker of E. coli bacteria.

In this paper, a sensor containing light coupled with plasmon-polariton waves using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) structure through a volume diffraction transmission grating was investigated. A film of amorphous chalcogenide materials such as As₂S₃ was used. In amorphous films, photoinduced changes in the refractive index were achieved by irradiation with coherent light of recording laser with a wavelength of λ_r = 532 nm. The developed physical model made it possible to determine some operating parameters of the SPR structure, such as the incidence angle, grating tilt angle, and grating period. The diffraction gratings were fabricated by the holographic interferometric method and have an efficiency of 62%. The fringe tilt should be 6.75° for SPR with an air environment and 12.3° for SPR with an aqueous environment if the angle of light incidence on the structure was chosen to be 30°. The SPR structure is planar, and the angular interrogation is carried out from the back side, which is an advantage since the analyte does not necessarily have to be optically homogeneous and free from absorption.