Temperature-induced effect on refractive index of graphene based on coated in-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer

The temperature-induced complex refractive index(CRI) effect of graphene is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally based on a graphene coated in-fiber MZI(Mach-Zehnder interferometer). The relationships between real and imaginary parts of the graphene CRI and temperature are obtained through investigating the dip wavelength and intensity of the MZI interference spectrum changing with temperature, respectively. The temperature effect of CRI of the graphene is also analyzed theoretically. Both experimental and theoretical studies show that the real part and imaginary part of the CRI nonlinearly decrease and increase with temperature increasing, respectively. This graphene-coated in-fiber MZI structure also possesses the advantages of easy fabrication, miniaturization, low cost and robustness. It has potential applications in nanomaterial-based optic devices for communication and sensing.     

Large negative refractive index modification induced by irradiation of femtosecond laser inside optical glasses

We report on the refractive index modification (Δn) and its cross sectional profile of the created lines inside the different types of optical glasses, containing BaO, TiO₂, or La₂O₃ as a metal oxide. The lines were fabricated by scanning a stage and focusing the femtosecond laser pulses, 800 nm wavelength, a 250 kHz repetition rate and 200 fs pulse duration, from the Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier system. The Δn measurements were performed with the qualitative phase microscopy technique. As a result, it was found that the Δn and its sign are different depending on glass types. For example, in the glasses containing TiO₂, the Δn became smaller in the modified region and some of them showed relatively large decrease of the Δn, Δn < −0.01, with about 10 μm width. Such a glass material could be useful for the compact optics and optical devices.     

用M-Z干涉仪对空气折射率的定量测量与理论探讨

用自行组建的M-Z干涉仪测量空气在不同压强下的折射率,得到恒定温度下折射率随压强变化的具体关系,并从理论上对空气折射率的成因进行了分析,较好地解释了实验结果.     

基于光纤气泡和纤芯失配的Mach-Zehnder干涉液体折射率传感器

介绍了一种基于光纤气泡和纤芯失配的Mach-Zehnder干涉液体折射率传感器. 将两根纤芯经过腐蚀的普通单模光纤熔接在一起, 在熔接点处形成一个气泡, 在距气泡20 mm处级联一段20 mm的细芯光纤, 再接入一段单模光纤, 形成单模光纤-气泡-单模光纤-细芯光纤-单模光纤结构的传感器. 气泡与光纤芯径失配处的两个节点起到光纤耦合器的作用, 从而形成光纤Mach-Zehnder干涉仪. 环境液体折射率的变化,将使得传感器透射谱能量发生变化, 通过测量干涉谱波峰峰值能量从而实现对折射率的测量. 并对所制作传感器的折射率响应特性进行了实验研究, 实验结果表明干涉谱波峰峰值能量与环境液体折射率之间存在良好的线性关系, 当环境液体折射率变化范围在1.351–1.402时, 响应灵敏度为143.537 dB/RIU, 线性度0.996. 该传感器在生物化学领域有较好的应用前景. 关键词： 光纤气泡 纤芯失配 Mach-Zehnder干涉仪 折射率传感     

Real-time measurement of glucose concentration and average refractive index using a laser interferometer

This study presents a non-destructive, highly precise optical metrology system for measuring the average refractive index of a liquid solution such that its glucose concentration can be derived. The metrology system is employed to measure the average refractive indices of samples with known glucose concentrations ranging from 0 to 200 g/l. By applying a regressional analysis technique to the experimental results, an analytical expression is derived to describe the relationship between the refractive index and the glucose concentration. An excellent agreement is observed between the experimentally determined values of the glucose concentration and the analytically derived results. For an assumed laser interferometer resolution of 1 nm, the measurement resolution of the proposed metrology system is found to be at least F=0.05 g/l, which is significantly better than that of F=2 g/l obtained using the polarimetric glucose sensor presented by Lo and Yu [A polarimetric glucose sensor using a liquid-crystal polarization modulator driven by a sinusoidal signal. Opt Commun, 2006; 259: 40–8].     

Tunable double-clad ytterbium-doped fiber laser based on a double-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer

We have demonstrated an adjustable double-clad Yb³⁺-doped fiber laser using a double-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The laser is adjustable over a range of 40 nm from 1064 nm to 1104 nm. By adjusting the state of the polarization controller, which is placed in the double-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer, we obtained central lasing wavelengths that can be accurately tuned with controllable spacing between different tunable wavelengths. The laser has a side mode suppression ratio of 42 dB, the 3 dB spectral width is less than 0.2 nm, and the slope efficiencies at 1068 nm, 1082 nm and 1098 nm are 23%, 32% and 26%, respectively. In addition, we have experimentally observed tunable multi-wavelengths lasing output.     

飞秒激光刻蚀非平行壁光纤微腔Mach-Zehnder干涉仪特性及其流体传感研究

实验发现,飞秒激光微加工光纤微腔时,两个侧壁与纤芯轴向并不完全垂直, 刻蚀的非平行壁光纤微腔Mach-Zehnder干涉仪出现光程差随波长增大而线性减小、 微腔总损耗随波长增大呈递减变化等反常现象.对此,提出非平行壁光纤微腔Mach-Zehnder 干涉仪新模型并初步建立了分析理论,采用新模型及分析理论对新型微腔干涉仪特性进行了研究. 数值分析了微腔底角、深度等参数对谱峰波长位置的影响,理论研究了微腔的光波传输损耗、 吸收损耗、插入损耗、材料红外吸收损耗以及对干涉条纹对比度的影响, 理论分析与实验结果相符.实验获得水溶液干涉条纹对比度高达35 dB的非平行壁光纤微腔Mach-Zehnder干涉仪, 将新型光纤微腔干涉仪用于流体传感,其蔗糖水溶液折射率传感灵敏度高达-12937.31 nm/RIU.     

Modified Michelson interferometer for probing refractive index of birefringent crystal CSBN50

Based on the modified Michelson interferometer and phase analysis method, a high-accuracy method for probing the refractive index (RI) of transparent medium is proposed. The validated test was performed on a birefringent crystal CSBN50 with the estimated accuracy being up to 10⁻⁴. The ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices of CSBN50 at 632.8 nm are determined as n₀=2.32853±0.00016 and n_e=2.27664±0.00016, respectively.     

光纤锥在线型马赫-曾德干涉仪的折射率传感特性

提出了一种基于光纤锥的在线型光纤马赫-曾德干涉仪式折射率传感器.传感器是在一根单模光纤上使用光纤熔接机拉制出两个光纤锥,光纤锥的直径为43.7μm,长度为480μm.干涉仪中光纤锥充当光纤耦合器,激发出光纤高阶模,并将高阶模耦合进单模光纤使之与纤芯基模形成模间干涉.被环境溶液的折射率、温度的变化改变模式间相位差,将导致干涉仪的传输光谱发生漂移,从而实现传感测量.实验结果表明:当环境溶液的折射率变化范围为1.335~1.403RIU时,传感器的折射率灵敏度为-128.233nm/RIU;当水溶液的温度变化范围为30~75℃时,传感器的温度灵敏度为0.111nm/℃.该传感器具有制作方法简单、灵敏度高、成本低等特点,可应用于生物传感测量.     

基于量子增强型光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪的低频信号测量

利用低频光通信波段真空压缩态光场可实现基于光纤的量子精密测量.本文利用简并光学参量振荡器实验制备出1550 nm低频真空压缩态光场.在分析频段10—500 kHz范围内压缩态光场的压缩度均达3 dB.用实验制备的1550 nm真空压缩态光场填补光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪的真空通道,实现了量子增强型光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪,完成了突破标准量子极限的相位调制频率为500 kHz的低频信号测量.与光纤马赫-曾德尔干涉仪相比,测量信噪比提高了2 dB.     

High-precision measurement system based on laser interferometer for determining alcohol concentration of liquid solution

This study develops a high-precision, non-destructive measurement technique based on a laser interferometer for determining the alcohol concentration of a liquid solution from its refractive index. The optical metrology system is employed to measure the refractive indexes of samples with known alcohol concentrations ranging from 5% to 95%. By applying regressional analysis to the experimental results, an analytical expression is derived to describe the quadratic relationship between the refractive index and the alcohol concentration. An excellent agreement is observed between the experimentally determined values of the alcohol concentration and the analytically predicted results. For an assumed laser interferometer resolution of 1 nm, the measurement resolution of the proposed metrology system is found to be at least F = 0.0025%, which is significantly better than that of typical stereometry methods (approximately 1.0%) Furthermore, it is shown that the measurement resolution improves as the alcohol concentration reduces.     

In-Fiber Fabry-Perot and Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on hollow optical fiber fabricated by arc fusion splicing with small lateral offsets

Two kinds of in-line all-fiber interferometers, including tip Fabry-Perot interferometer and compact Mach-Zehnder interferometer, are proposed and demonstrated by fusion splicing a short section of hollow optical fiber (HOF) to the end of single-mode fiber (SMF) and sandwiching a section of HOF in between two sections of SMF, respectively. In both interferometers, a small lateral offset is introduced to induce the optical path difference required to form the interferometer. Temperature responses of both types of interferometers are studied experimentally. It is anticipated that such easy making, compact and low-cost fiber-optic interferometers could find important applications in practice.     

折射率调制脉冲射线探测技术原理验证

为验证折射率调制的脉冲射线束探测技术,建立了原理验证系统。该系统基于平行平板干涉原理,测量传感介质的折射率在射线激发下的瞬时变化。传感介质为GaAs,探针光为1310 nm单模激光,外界激发射线源平均能量为300 keV,脉宽为20 ns。使用带宽775 kHz的近红外InGaAs光电探测器,观测到了GaAs晶体在脉冲射线激发下的折射率变化。初步理论分析表明,射线脉冲在GaAs中产生的非平衡载流子浓度为1014 cm-3量级,折射率变化为10-6量级。折射率变化的实验结果与理论计算在量级上是符合的。实验结果表明,基于折射率调制的脉冲射线束探测技术基本可行,利用该系统可进一步发展高时间分辨的脉冲射线束探测技术。     

飞秒激光制作微型光纤干涉传感器的研究进展

飞秒激光脉冲持续时间短、峰值功率高,在对物质进行处理过程中热作用区域小、加工精度高,已成为一种制作高性能、新结构光子器件的重要方法。简单介绍了飞秒脉冲激光微加工的方法和特性,归纳了飞秒激光直写技术在光纤干涉型传感器制作方面的研究进展,包括微型光纤Fabry-Perot干涉传感器和微型光纤Mach-Zehnder干涉传感器,重点介绍了这些光纤传感器的结构、特性和潜在应用。对用该技术制作的微型光纤干涉传感器进行了总结和展望。     

Novel optical devices based on the tunable refractive index of magnetic fluid and their characteristics

As a new type of functional material, magnetic fluid (MF) is a stable colloid of magnetic nanoparticles, dressed with surfactant and dispersed in the carrier liquid uniformly. The MF has many unique optical properties, and the most important one is its tunable refractive index property. This paper summarizes the properties of the MF refractive index and the related optical devices. The refractive index can be easily controlled by external magnetic field, temperature, and so on. But the tunable refractive index of MF has a relaxation effect. As a result, the response time is more than milliseconds and the MF is only suitable for low speed environment. Compared with the traditional optical devices, the magnetic fluid based optical devices have the tuning ability. Compared with the tunable optical devices (the electro-optic devices (LiNbO₃) of more than 10 GHz modulation speed, acoustic-optic devices (Ge) of more than 20 MHz modulation speed), the speed of the magnetic fluid based optical devices is low. Now there are many applications of magnetic fluid based on the refractive index in the field of optical information communication and sensing technology, such as tunable beam splitter, optical-fiber modulator, tunable optical gratings, tunable optical filter, optical logic device, tunable interferometer, and electromagnetic sensor. With the development of the research and application of magnetic fluid,a new method, structure and material to improve the response time can be found, which will play an important role in the fields of optical information communication and sensing technology.     

Determination of the refractive index profile of polymer optical fiber preform by the transverse ray tracing method

In graded-index polymer optical fiber (GI-POF), the refractive index profile is an important parameter in defining its bandwidth. However, direct determination of the refractive index profile of GI-POF is difficult due to its extreme thinness. In this study, the refractive index distribution of the GI-POF is indirectly determined by measuring the refractive index distribution of the GI-POF perform by applying the transverse ray tracing method to a simplified measurement system that we developed.In this system, a parallel tabular ray is irradiated transversely to a GI-POF preform. The transverse ray from the preform is then projected on a screen, and its digital image is processed to calculate the refractive index distribution. The calculation is based on a transverse ray simulation, a computer program that we developed in which the refractive index distribution of the preform is determined by comparing the displacement of the transverse ray projected on the screen with the actual measurement.The accuracy of this new measurement method is validated by comparing the refractive index distribution of a GI-POF preform with the refractive index distribution measured by the conventional method using an interferometer. We find that the refractive index distribution measured by this novel method agrees well with that measured by the conventional method.     

Experimental research of liquid refractive index sensing by optical fiber and colloidal crystal's photonic band-gap

We use the changes of colloidal photonic crystal photonic band-gap center wavelength to research the refractive index sensing by experiment. The changes in the center wavelength of the colloidal crystals photonic band-gap are analyzed. A mold is designed to obtain a controllable self-assembly method, colloidal crystals are observed by scan electronic microscope (SEM) and the band-gap is measured by infrared spectrometer. The results are agreed well with the theoretical analysis. An experimental device is designed to test liquid refractive index. The couple of the fibers are used to measure the band-gap of colloidal crystals and the results are also discussed in theory. The results show that the band-gap of colloidal crystals can be used to measure the liquid refractive index. The new sensing mechanism is formed and it provides a new application of colloidal crystals in the sensing.     

Structure and refractive index dispersive behavior of potassium niobate tantalate films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Pure perovskite phase and crack-free KTa_0.5Nb_0.5O₃ thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The structure and orientation were analyzed by X-ray diffraction. The optical properties were investigated by an ellipsometer. The relationship between the refractive index dispersive behavior and internal structure was analyzed by Sellmeier dispersion model and single electronic oscillator approximation. The parameters of room temperature monomial Sellmeier oscillator were calculated. And the refractive index dispersive parameter E₀/S₀ of KTa_0.5Nb_0.5O₃ thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates is (6.72 ± 0.04) × 10⁻¹⁴ eV m², which is consistent with those of KTN crystals and compounds with ABO₃ perovskite type structure.     

Study of in fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer based on two spaced 3-dB long period gratings surrounded by a refractive index higher than that of silica

The paper deals with the response of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer composed by two 3-dB long period gratings (LPG) with different external refractive indices higher than that of silica (leaky configuration). A rough analysis of the cladding propagation arising in leaky configuration has allowed us to establish a model that is sufficient to describe the interferometer couplings evolution at the resonance. In particular, we have shown that the interferometer sensitivity depends strongly on its phase-shift Δ and is optimized for Δ equal to π [2π] or 3π/4 [2π]. An experimental study was undertaken and allowed us to validate our model. Finally, a comparison with a single LPG demonstrated an increased sensitivity to the external index, suggesting the conception of a new fiber sensor operating with external refractive indices higher than that of silica.