High sensitivity refractive index sensor based on splicing points tapered SMF-PCF-SMF structure Mach-Zehnder mode interferometer

SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL

卷:225

Article

Wang, Qi^1,2  Kong, Lingxin¹  Dang, Yunli¹  Xia, Feng¹  Zhang, Yongwei¹  Zhao, Yong^1,2  Hu, Haifeng¹  Li, Jin¹ 

[1] Northeastern Univ, Coll Informat Sci & Engn, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning, Peoples R China

[2] Northeastern Univ, State Key Lab Synthet Automat Proc Ind, Shenyang 110819, Liaoning, Peoples R China

关键词: Optical fiber sensor;    Refractive index measurement;    Mach-Zehnder interference;    Photonic crystal fiber;    High sensitivity;    Splicing points taper;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.snb.2015.11.047

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

The paper proposed and studied a Mach-Zehnder mode interferometric refractive index sensor, which is based on splicing points tapered SMF-PCF-SMF (SMF, single-mode fiber; PCF, photonic crystal fiber) structure. For the reason that the effective refractive index of photonic crystal fiber cladding high-order modes near fiber core are more sensitive to surrounding refractive index changes, the refractive index measurement sensitivity of splicing points tapered SMF-PCF-SMF Mach-Zehnder mode interferometer can be enhanced further through tapering the splicing points. Relations between refractive index measurement sensitivity and photonic crystal fiber length and taper waist diameter are studied through numerical simulations and experiments. Simulation and experimental results show that sensitivity will be increased with the increase of photonic crystal fiber length and the decrease of taper waist diameter. In the refractive range of 1.3333-1.3737, splicing points tapered SMF-PCF-SMF Mach-Zehnder mode interferometer with PCF length of 4 cm and taper waist diameter of 60.4 mu m has refractive index measurement sensitivity of 260.8 nm/RIU, compared with sensitivity of 224.2 nm/RIU of direct splicing SMF-PCF-SMF Mach-Zehnder mode interferometer with PCF length of 4 cm, the sensitivity increased by 16.3%. The research shows that the sensing structure is with good linearity and repeatability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free