Thesis defense in: “Electromagnetics and Photonics” by Innocent Kadaleka PHIRI

The Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) is pleased to announce the public defense of a doctoral thesis in "Electromagnetism and Photonics".

The thesis defense will take place on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 02:30 p.m. at UEMF.
Venue: Gallery 1 Building

The thesis will be presented by Mr. Innocent Kadaleka PHIRI

on the topic:
"COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE (SPR) BIOSENSORS BASED ON GOLD-SILVER ALLOYS"

Abstract:

The performance of Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based biosensors is strongly influenced by the physical and optical properties of their components, particularly the characteristics of the materials and layer configurations. This thesis addresses current challenges in the design, optimization, and performance enhancement of SPR biosensors through advanced computational modeling, strategic material selection, and structural reconfiguration.

First, a standalone PC software application, 'SPR-Soft', has been developed to enable efficient simulation and automated optimization of SPR biosensors. The software features an intuitive interface with automated performance metric calculations and data generation capabilities, providing a flexible platform for performance evaluation and future machine learning integration.

Next, the work introduces gold-silver (Au-Ag) alloys as novel plasmonic materials for planar SPR biosensors and systematically investigates the influence of alloy composition on Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) wave behavior and key biodetection performance metrics. The results demonstrate that alloy integration enhances biosensor sensitivity and stability, while a higher silver content increases SPP propagation length and penetration depth.

Finally, further performance improvements are achieved by integrating additional materials, including two-dimensional (2D) materials and metal oxides, as well as by implementing metal-insulator-metal (MIM) SPR configurations. Overall, this research advances SPR biosensor technology while aligning with global health and innovation goals, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3 and 9).

Keywords: Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), SPR biosensors, SPR-Soft, gold-silver alloys, sensitivity enhancement, environmental stability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This thesis will be presented before the jury members:

Full Name	Rank	Institution	Role
Prof. Abdellatif SAFOUANE	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Jury President
Prof. Mohammed KHALIS	Full Professor	Moulay Ismail University	Examiner
Prof. Ahmed SALI	Full Professor	Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University	Examiner
Prof. Karoum LIMAME	Full Professor	Regional Center for Trades in Education and Training of Fez-Meknes	Examiner
Prof. Salim BOUNOU	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Member
Prof. Ibtissam YOULYOUZ	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Member
Prof. Tijani BOUNAHMIDI	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Thesis Director
Prof. Mohssin ZEKRITI	Associate Professor	Euromed University of Fes	Thesis Co-Director