Lossy mode resonance-based uniform core tapered fiber optic sensor for sensitivity enhancement

A lossy mode resonance (LMR)-supported fiber optic sensor in which a uniform fiber core is placed among two identical tapered regions, is investigated numerically. Indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) are considered as LMR active materials used to excite several lossy modes and gold and silver are used as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) active materials. In this probe design, a central uniform core coated with ITO/AZO is the active sensing region, whereas tapered regions are meant for bringing the incident angle close to the critical angle. The sensitivity of the present fiber optic bio-sensor is evaluated for first two LMRs utilizing both ITO and AZO separately, along with its variation with the taper ratio (TR). For ITO, the maximum sensitivity values are observed to be 18.425 μm RIU⁻¹ (refractive index unit) and 0.825 μm RIU⁻¹, corresponding to the first and second LMRs, respectively, at a TR of 1.6 and for AZO, equivalent values are 0.79 μm RIU⁻¹ and 0.35 μm RIU⁻¹, respectively, at a TR of 2.0. The results illustrate that the first LMR is more sensitive than the second LMR and the ITO-coated probe possesses greater sensitivity than the AZO-coated probe for both LMRs. Similarly, for the fiber optic SPR sensor, the maximum value of sensitivity is 5.6425 μm RIU⁻¹, in the case of gold and 5.0615 μm RIU⁻¹ in the case of silver, at a TR of 1.6. Hence, the result shows that the sensor with the present fiber optic probe design has around a 3-fold enhancement in sensitivity compared with conventional SPR sensors. This study will have applications in many sensing schemes where the requirement of large sensitivity is vital.     

内置调制层型光纤表面等离子体波共振传感器研究

研究了一种基于内置调制层结构的光纤表面等离子体波共振(SPR)传感器。通过在金膜与纤芯的内侧增覆具有不同厚度和属性的光学透明薄膜作为内调制层,构成了性能独特的光电复合薄膜,起到调节倏逝波矢量和金膜表面等离子体振荡波矢量的双重作用,进而控制共振效应,为调节灵敏度提供依据。采用时域有限差分方法对内置调制层结构光纤SPR共振激励模型属性进行数值仿真。在此基础上,研制了用于液体折射率测量的内置调制层型光纤SPR传感探针。实验结果表明,该传感器在1.335～1.392折射率范围内,随着待测液体折射率的增大,SPR共振光谱向长波方向偏移,且灵敏度达到2263.1nm/RIU,与基于纤芯-金膜-环境介质三层结构的常规光纤SPR传感器相比提高一倍,能够更好地满足环境折射率检测的需求。     

基于光纤SPR光谱分析的污水降解过程监测研究

讨论了光纤表面等离子体波传感器的工作原理,并对将其用于监测以甲基橙为代表的环境污水降解过程的可行性进行了探讨。用光纤SPR传感器监测了50 mL初始浓度为30 mg·L-1的甲基橙原溶液在降解过程浓度的变化,对降解过程中光纤SPR传感器的光谱进行了详细的分析;同时采用紫外-分光光度计对降解过程中溶液浓度的变化进行了监测,并对2种方法所测的数据进行了分析对比。结果表明,光纤SPR同常规方法的测量结果一致,随着降解时间的增加,甲基橙溶液的吸光度和浓度逐渐减小,光纤SPR传感器的共振波长逐渐发生蓝移,同初始标定的甲基橙原溶液共振光谱比较,说明甲基橙逐渐被降解,且在2 h内降解率达到73%,说明用光纤SPR传感器监测污水降解过程是完全可行的。研究结果不仅为环境污水降解过程提供了一种新的监测方法,同时促进了我国SPR传感技术与环保监测研究结合,为光纤SPR技术走向实用,并最终实现产业化积累了经验。     

光纤SPR湿敏传感器及其共振光谱特性研究

提出并研制了基于光纤SPR传感探针的新型湿敏传感器。首先研究了光纤SPR传感探针对环境湿度变化的敏感特性,在此基础上提出在光纤SPR传感探针表面增覆不同厚度且具有水分子吸附功能的PVA薄膜来实现环境相对湿度的监测。研究结果表明,增覆双层PVA薄膜的光纤SPR传感探针在高湿区具有较好监测效果,其共振强度对应的相对湿度测量灵敏度达到1.59%/%RH,较光纤SPR探针呈现显著提高。而增覆单层PVA薄膜的光纤SPR传感探针在高湿区共振波长对应的相对湿度监测灵敏度达到2.411nm/%RH。此外所提出的新型光纤SPR湿敏探针在PVA薄膜失效后经过特殊工艺处理仍可重复镀膜使用。     

Investigation of dual-channel fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance sensing for biological applications

A dual-channel fiber-optic sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for self-referencing refractive-index measurements has been proposed. Most applications of fiber-optic SPR sensors are designed to measure the refractive index of a liquid or gas sample by measuring the signal from a single surface, the sensitivity and stability of which is easily affected by the fluctuation of external environmental conditions. We have designed a dual-channel fiber-optic surface sensor with two independent SPR signals from two areas of the same probe. A prototype sensor was fabricated and characterized. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate the characteristic responses of both SPR signals from two channels that independently correspond to the refractive index changes in the liquid samples with which they are in contact. The design could be extended to a multichannel sensor with further developments. The experimental results confirmed that one channel can be used as a reference sensor that could compensate for unexpected changes in bulk refraction or temperature and develop this sensor as a practicable high-sensitivity biosensing device.     

Surface plasmon resonance based fiber optic sensor utilizing indium oxide

A highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based fiber optic sensor with indium oxide (In₂O₃) layer coated on the core of the optical fiber is presented and theoretically analyzed. The sensitivity of the SPR based fiber optic sensor has been evaluated numerically. It is shown that the proposed SPR based fiber optic sensor with In₂O₃ layer possesses high sensitivity in the near infrared region of spectrum, which needs attention to many environmental and security applications and offers more accurate and highly reproducible measurements. In addition, the sensitivity of the SPR based fiber optic sensor decreases with the increase in the thickness of In₂O₃ layer. With sensitivity as high as 4600 nm/RIU, the 170 nm thick In₂O₃ layer based fiber optic SPR sensor demonstrates better performance.     

基于SPR光谱分析的液体折射率测量研究

文章从电磁场理论和射线理论的角度,详细讨论了光纤表面等离子体波传感器工作原理,分析了表面等离子体共振(SPR)光谱共振波长与液体介质折射率之间的对应关系。采用相关光谱检测技术,获得八种不同类型分析醇所对应的SPR光谱曲线族,其共振波长随液体折射率的增大而逐渐向长波长方向偏移。通过对乙醇与乙二醇混合液体所对应的共振光谱分析,实现对两者配比浓度的测定。整个传感系统结构简单,测量光路部分实现全光纤化,不仅能够对目标测量介质的实时、快速、精确测量,还可用于特殊测量场合,实现远程遥测功能。     

侧边抛磨的U型金溅射塑料光纤等离子体共振传感器

为了测量溶液折射率变化，对塑料光纤纤芯表面的纤芯-金层-液体的3层膜结构进行研究，制作了一种使用U型结构并结合侧边抛磨方法的表面等离子体共振传感器。将截取的一段塑料光纤弯曲成为U型，并在烘箱中通过较高温度使这段光纤的曲率固定，对弯曲部分的外表面进行抛光，暴露该位置塑料光纤芯层并在其上溅射金纳米薄膜层，将制备好的传感器浸入不同折射率的液体中，使用光谱分析仪观察光谱的移动。实验结果表明:当塑料光纤SPR传感器测量折射率变化范围在1.333~1.406的液体时，可以通过光谱观察到随着液体折射率的增大，等离子体共振吸收峰位置也不断地向波长增大的方向移动，并且二者之间存在线性关系，其灵敏度为7.5×10-4 RIU/nm。该传感器探头具有灵敏度高、小型化、易制备、低成本的特点。     

Cross-point analysis for a multimode fiber sensor based on surface plasmon resonance

A novel analysis based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) with a side-polished multimode fiber and a white-light (halogen light) source is presented. The sensing system is a multimode optical fiber in which half of the core has been polished away and a 40 nm gold layer is deposited on to the polished surface by dc sputter. The SPR dip in the optical spectrum is investigated with an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA). In our SPR fiber sensor, the use of liquids with different refractive indices leads to a shift in the spectral dip in the SPR curve. The cross point (CP) of the two SPR spectra obtained from the refractive-index liquid and the deionized water measurements was observed with the OSA. The CP is shifted sensitively in wavelength from 630 to 1300 nm relative to a change in the refractive index of the liquid from 1.34 to 1.46. High sensitivities of 1.9 x 10(-6) refractive-index units (RIUs) in the range of the refractive index of the liquid from 1.40 to 1.44 of 5.7 x 10(-7) RIUs above the value of 1.44 are proposed and demonstrated in our novel SPR analysis.     

基于表面等离子体共振和定向耦合的D形光子晶体光纤折射率和温度传感器

利用光子晶体光纤结构的灵活性和性能的优越性, 设计了一种基于D形光子晶体光纤的折射率和温度传感器. 在D形光子晶体光纤表面抛磨并镀上金纳米薄膜, 作为表面等离子体共振传感通道用来测量液体折射率; 在包层的一个空气孔中填充温敏液体甲苯, 作为定向耦合通道实现对温度的测量. 进一步的数值计算发现, 基于定向耦合效应的温度传感和基于表面等离子体共振的折射率传感相互独立, D形光子晶体光纤同时进行折射率和温度传感检测. 在各向异性的完美匹配层边界条件下利用全矢量有限元法对该传感器特性进行了数值研究, 发现D形光子晶体光纤的空气孔直径决定了定向耦合吸收峰的中心波长和温度传感的灵敏度, 金薄膜的厚度和D形结构的抛磨深度仅影响表面等离子体共振峰的相对强度. 结果表明: 该传感器在-10–80 ℃的温度范围内具有11.6 nm/℃的温度灵敏度, 在1.34–1.44折射率范围内折射率灵敏度最高可达26000 nm/RIU.     

Total dissolved solids estimation with a fiber optic sensor of surface plasmon resonance

In this paper, surface plasmon spectra of ion influence was investigated by using a fabricated fiber optic sensors, then spectrum subtraction of ion and non-ionic solutions were developed for field applications of total dissolved solids (TDS) estimation. We confirmed the SPR spectral difference between seven ionic and three non-ionic liquid samples, that for the same refractive index, resonance wavelength in SPR spectrum is much higher for ionic samples than that in the case of non-ionic ones due to the ions influence. The positive correlation of ion content and extra resonance wavelength shift has been established for TDS estimation in water. With three groups of water samples investigation and field testing, the proposed SPR technique showed a good performance comparable to the conductivity method.     

Fiber optic sensor based on surface plasmon resonance with nanoparticle films

This paper reports on a novel design of a fiber optic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on nanoparticle metal film. The performance of the proposed sensor in terms of its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sensitivity under different conditions related to the film with spherical gold nanoparticles embedded in a host material is theoretically analyzed. In particular, the effect of the parameters such as gold particle size, film thickness, and refractive index of host material is studied and the possible explanation, whenever required, is given. The numerical results presented in this paper leads to fulfill the requirement of significant optimization of the important design parameters to achieve a high SNR and sensitivity of a fiber optic SPR sensor with nanoparticle films.     

基于光纤SPR光谱分析的水质矿化度检测研究

从溶液离子影响表面等离子体共振(SPR)光谱特征的角度,分析讨论了光纤SPR光谱对水溶液离子成分检测的灵敏特征,基于此并应用于以矿化度为代表的水质检测中。研究通过对不同离子状态的电解质溶液(NaCl,KCl,CaCl₂,MgCl₂,Na₂CO₃,MgSO₄和ZnSO₄)和非电解质溶液(蔗糖、丙三醇、葡萄糖)下的光纤SPR光谱分析,得到水环境的杂质离子含量对SPR光谱的影响规律,进而实现了水质矿化度的检测。研究同时给出了光纤SPR光谱法与电导率分析法在八种不同水样的检测对比分析,光纤SPR光谱法拥有高灵敏度、快速响应、抗电磁干扰等优点,对光纤SPR技术在水质检测领域的应用打下良好的基础。     

Cascaded dual-channel fiber SPR temperature sensor based on liquid and solid encapsulations

In order to control the working wavelength range of the fiber surface plasmon resonance(SPR) temperature sensor and realize the wavelength division multiplexing type multi-channel fiber SPR temperature sensor, by comprehensively investigating the influence of liquids with different thermal-optical coefficients and solid packaging materials on the performance of fiber SPR temperature sensor, a dual-channel fiber SPR temperature sensor based on liquid–solid cascade encapsulation was designed and fabricated. The liquid temperature sensing stage encapsulated in capillary worked in 616.03 nm–639.05 nm band, the solid sensing stage coated with pouring sealant worked in 719.37 nm–825.27 nm band, and the two stages were cascaded to form a fiber dual-channel temperature sensor. The testing results indicated that when the temperature range was 35℃–95℃, the sensitivity of two-stage temperature detection was -0.384 nm/℃and -1.765 nm/℃ respectively. The proposed fiber sensor has simple fabrication and excellent performance which can be widely used in various fields of dual-channel temperature measurement and temperature compensation.     

Analysis of refractometric fiber optic state-of-charge (SOC) monitoring sensor for lead acid battery

In situ monitoring of the state of charge (SOC) of lead acid battery is important to understand the residual electrical energy. Usage of battery reduces the charge content of the active electrolyte which in turn changes its refractive index. This paper reports refractometric fiber optic sensor developed for on-line monitoring of SOC. The SOC is monitored during discharging phases of the battery using the developed fiber optic sensor probe along with terminal voltage, temperature and depth of discharge using a LABVIEW based data acquisition system. The paper gives the working principle, design and construction details, results and calibration of the fiber optic sensor (FOS) probe. The in situ monitoring capability of the developed FOS is demonstrated in comparison with the contemporary off-line methods of specific gravity and terminal voltage measurements.     

LED based fiber optic surface plasmon resonance sensor

Modeling of a miniaturized fiber optic sensor based on surface plasmon resonance utilizing a broad band diffuse source is presented. Attenuated total internal reflection with Kretschmann configuration is the basis of the theoretical model. For simulation both meridional and skew rays are considered. The performance of the sensor is evaluated in terms of sensitivity, detection accuracy and signal to noise ratio. Effects of the numerical aperture of the fiber, core diameter and length of the sensing region on the performance parameters of the sensor are studied. The results are obtained for gold and silver metallic layer on the core of the fiber. The theoretical results obtained are compared with SPR based fiber optic sensor utilizing focused beam on the end face of the fiber from a collimated source. The advantages of using broadband LED (diffuse source) source for launching light in the fiber are the miniaturization, compactness and low cost of the sensor.     

反射式光纤表面等离子体波共振传感器特性研究

研究了一种基于表面等离子体波共振(SPR)光谱分析的折射率检测新方法。研究发现,表面等离子体波共振效应光谱特征的折射率灵敏度会随着液体性质变化而发生改变。根据折射率测量范围不同,分别选择共振波长和共振强度作为检测参量,实现理论折射率分辨力达到10~(-5)数量级以上。在理论分析和实验基础上,设计出一种基于共振光强检测的终端反射式光纤表面等离子体波共振效应传感系统,采用将传感信号和基准光信号的比值作为液体折射率变化的度量值。在1．3325～1．3991的折射率测量范围内,度量值与折射率之间呈现单调递减关系,线性相关系数为0．9983。通过定义耦合系数,还可实现对表面等离子体波共振效应效应强弱和变化趋势的评估。     

一种用于细胞操作的单光纤光镊研究

采用一种抛物线形光纤针作为基本器件,设计制作了单光纤光镊系统.用时域有限差分（Finite Difference Time Domain,FDTD）的方法仿真了抛物线型光纤探针的出射场,并在稳态场下通过对麦克斯韦应力张量积分求出不同介质球半径和折射率情况下,介质球受到的横向和纵向光作用力.实验中此单光纤光镊系统实现了对水中酵母细胞的空间捕获,并且结合两个抛物线形光纤针实现了酵母细胞在两个光势阱中的转移交接.这种单光纤光镊系统结构简单、紧凑,操纵灵活,便于调整.可以适应更多的生物细胞和生物分子的光微操作需求.     

Plasmonic rainbow rings induced by white radial polarization

This Letter presents a scheme to embed both angular/spectral surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in a unique far-field rainbow feature by tightly focusing (effective NA=1.45) a polychromatic radially polarized beam on an Au (20 nm)/SiO2 (500 nm)/Au (20 nm) sandwich structure. Without the need for angular or spectral scanning, the virtual spectral probe snapshots a wide operation range (n=1-1.42; λ=400-700 nm) of SPR excitation in a locally nanosized region. Combined with the high-speed spectral analysis, a proof-of-concept scenario was given by monitoring the NaCl liquid concentration change in real time. The proposed scheme will certainly has a promising impact on the development of objective-based SPR sensor and biometric studies due to its rapidity and versatility.     

Multi-step structure of side-polished fiber sensor to enhance SPR effect

A multi-step side-polished multi-mode fiber sensor structure based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and transverse magnetic (TM)-field-mode coupling phenomena is proposed. The multi-step structure with single-step, two-step, and three-step SPR fiber sensors are demonstrated via the difference in the SPR response for DI water. The time dependence of the measured intensity of transmitted light with the multi-step structure is observed as the variation increased. The structure with the advantages of no bulky components and no complicated signal processing gives an obvious SPR response and provides a two-fold increase for the sensitivity of intensity measurement.