Nanowire-based sensors may include an array of nanowires attached to a substrate. The nanowires may have a cladding and are configured to selectively direct incident light into the substrate to interact with surface plasmons at a metal layer on the surface of the substrate. Nanowire-based sensors may include an array of nanowires coupled to their respective closest neighbors. The nanowires may be arranged in a spiral, a half coil, a full coil in the order of increase radii.