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

The Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) is pleased to inform the public of the doctoral thesis defense in “Electromagnetics and Photonics”.

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

The thesis will be presented by M. Innocent Kadaleka PHIRI

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

Summary:

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

Firstly, a standalone PC-based 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 metrics 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 behaviour and key biosensing performance metrics. The results demonstrate that alloy integration improves biosensor sensitivity and stability, while higher silver content enhances SPP propagation length and penetration depth.

Finally, further performance gains are achieved through the integration of additional materials, including two-dimensional (2D) materials and metal oxides, as well as through the implementation of 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 to the jury members:

Full Name	Grade	Institution	Quality
Prof. Abdellatif SAFOUANE	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fez	Jury Chair
Prof. Mohammed KHALIS	Full Professor	University of Moulay Ismail	Reviewer
Prof. Ahmed SALI	Full Professor	University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah	Reviewer
Prof. Karoum LIMAME	Full Professor	Centre Régional des Métiers de l'Éducation et de la Formation de Fès-Meknès	Reviewer
Prof. Salim BOUNOU	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fez	Examiner
Prof. Ibtissam YOULYOUZ	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fez	Examiner
Prof. Tijani BOUNAHMIDI	Full Professor	Euromed University of Fez	Thesis Director
Prof. Mohssin ZEKRITI	Assistant Professor	Euromed University of Fez	Thesis Co-Director