Single-mode fibre coupler as refractometer sensor

We report a simple, non-intrusive fibre-optic refractometer sensor for measuring the refractive index of liquid and optically transparent solid medium. Sensing principle of the proposed sensor is based on monitoring the back-reflected light signal through the second input port of a 2 × 1 single-mode fibre coupler when light signal from the output port is focussed at the interface of air and a liquid or solid medium and back-reflected exactly along the same path. Depending on the refractive index of the medium, the amount of back-reflected intensity would vary and in the present work we exploit this principle to measure the refractive index of an optically transparent medium. Variation of refractive index as small as 0.001 RIU can be measured with our proposed sensor.     

Intensity modulated silver coated glass optical fiber refractive index sensor

Miniature optical fiber sensors with thin films as sensitive elements could open new fields for optical fiber sensor applications. Thin films work as sensitive elements and a transducer to get response and feedback from environments, in which optical fibers act as a signal carrier. A novel Ag coated intensity modulated optical fiber sensor based on refractive index changes using IR and UV-Vis(UV-visible) light sources is proposed. The sensor with an IR light source has higher sensitivity compared to a UV-Vis source. When the refractive index is enhanced to 1.38, the normalized intensity of IR and UV-Vis light diminishes to 0.2 and 0.8, respectively.     

Optical Detection of Motion of an Object with a Refractive Index Coinciding with the Refractive Index of the Surroundings

Estimates of characteristics of light reflection from an object moving with a constant velocity in a medium whose refractive index coincides with the refractive index of the object are presented. The back-reflected radiation has a frequency shift owing to the Doppler effect, and the reflectivity turns out to be a quantity of the first order in the ratio of the velocity of motion to the velocity of light in a vacuum. If the velocity of motion of the surroundings near the object boundary varies in a boundary layer of a width that appreciably exceeds the wavelength, the reflectivity falls off exponentially with the ratio of these quantities. The estimates performed testify that the possibility of observing the effect of relativistic reflection under consideration is quite realistic.     

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。     

Numerical ray tracing through a modified cladding fiber optic segment sensors

By using 3-D geometric optics, the effect of a modified cladding on the transmission of light through optical fiber is investigated. Analysis of the light transmission of the optical fiber as function of the modified cladding refraction index and length are presented for various input illumination focused and compared with 3-D ray theory. Applications to chemical sensors are also discussed.The intensity of light signal transmitted through an optical fiber, which its cladding over a finite length is removed, is used as a sensor of refractive of liquids, in which the fiber is immersed. The transmitted light intensity is measured as a function of liquid refractive index for different lengths of the unclad section of the fiber and at each unclad length its sensitivity to change in refractive index of liquid is presented.     

An integrated optical sensor for measuring glucose concentration

We used an optical sensor combined with a Mach-Zehnder interferometric waveguide and optical fibers to measure slight changes of aqueous sugar concentrations. The merits of this sensor are simplicity, reliability, high sensitivity and continuous monitoring. The technique is based on the fact that the refractive index of sugar solution changes with the concentration of sugar. In the experiment, one arm of the interferometer is clad with glue and is thus isolated from the sugar solution. The other one is exposed to the sugar solution. A single mode fiber is directly glued onto the interferometric waveguide, to guide the light into the interferometer. If the concentration of sugar covering the waveguide changes, the phase of propagating light in the exposed arm will be changed, while the phase in the other arm is fixed. Hence the output intensity from the interferometer is directly related to the concentration of the sugar solution. The result of this experiment yields the relation between the sugar concentration and output signal. From 0% to 1% concentration of sugar solution, there is only a 1.4×10^–3 refractive index difference. Two sets of experimental data have been obtained, showing a linear relation between the sugar concentration and the output signal from our sensor. This sensor could be used for continuous monitoring of blood sugar in the human body.     

Fiber Optical Bragg Grating Refractometer

We have demonstrated an evanescent field refractive indexfiber sensor comprising a 42-mm Bragg grating in an etched fiber together with a tunable Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) laser. Characterization of different aqueous sucrose solutions resulted in a resolution of roughly 10 mM sucrose. The sensor in the presented form has a theoretical sensitivity of higher than 10 5 refractive index unit (riu) in a refractive index region close to the cladding index of the fiber. However, the technique allows for an even higher sensitivity than 10 6 riu with a proper signal processing scheme.     

Wave reflection from inhomogeneous media at normal incidence

Wave reflection from a medium with continuously varying refractive index is examined. A differential equation is developed, the solution of which yields the back-reflected part of a wave of unity amplitude incident on a non-homogeneous medium at normal incidence.     

Performance study of a liquid-core Bragg fiber sensor in presence of a defect layer

Performance parameter of a Bragg fiber waveguide based resonant sensor in presence of a defect layer in cladding regions is theoretically studied. The Bragg fiber waveguide consists of a liquid-core surrounded by alternate high and low refractive indices materials in cladding regions. Reflectivity of the proposed waveguide based resonant sensor is formulated using transfer matrix method for a non-homogeneous multilayer cylindrical system. The waveguide shows a band gap region with a narrow defect mode in the band gap region under the considered wavelength range. Instead of taking a whole band gap as a sensing signal, here the defect peak is taken as the sensing signal. It is observed that the intensity of defect mode is more sensitive for core refractive index than the intensity of traditional band gap region (lobe). This study shows that the higher sensitivity can be achieved by creating the defect at a position in cladding region where the intensity of transmitted light lies between 40% and 90%. Presence of a defect layer is able to increase the detection accuracy of the sensor and, hence increase the overall performance of this sensor.     

利用SPR效应测定可见光波段金膜折射率

利用金膜光纤SPR传感器测定标准试剂折射率,实现了对金膜折射率的测试.给出金膜光纤SPR传感器总反射系数与金膜折射率等参量关系表达式.采用经典金膜折射率计算结果与试验结果相比具有相当差距.为此采用一组标准试剂进行试验,对测试数据进行计算,修正了可见光波段金膜的折射率.     

基于SM-NCF反射光谱辨识的液体折射率监测方法

针对分子生物学与环境监测领域高灵敏度特异性检测需求,提出一种基于反射光谱特征辨识的单端反射式光纤折射率传感器模型,并给出了这种基于多模干涉原理的单模光纤-无芯光纤(Single mode fiber-No core fiber, SM-NCF)串接结构传感机理及其理论模型。无芯光纤实质上是一种结构特殊的多模光纤,在实际应用中无芯光纤结构本身作为纤芯,外界环境介质当作包层,构成光波导结构。这与普通多模光纤相比,不需要采用氢氟酸对多模光纤的包层进行化学腐蚀,不会降低光纤的机械性能,也不会破坏芯模传输条件,可以更好的实现对周围环境折射率的传感监测。当无芯光纤所处外界环境折射率发生改变时,其波导结构和包层有效折射率均会发生改变,从而引起传输光信号的纵向传播常数和模场分布也会随之发生改变,最终导致不同波长对应传输光功率的变化。上述效应反映在反射光谱上,即干涉波谷对应的谐振波长、波谷峰值强度以及半波宽度发生相应变化,通过辨识该反射光谱特征就可实现对外界环境折射率的测量。借助光束传播法(BPM),数值模拟得到无芯光纤长度分别为自映像距离和非自映像距离时的SM-NCF内部光场能量分布规律,并制作了无芯光纤长度分别为自映像距离和非自映像距离的SM-NCF光纤折射率传感探头,将作为传感区域的无芯光纤一端与标准单模光纤熔接,采用磁控溅射技术在无芯光纤另一端面镀上金膜,用以提升反射光谱强度。在此基础上,搭建了基于SM-NCF终端反射型的光纤折射率试验系统,并开展了相关实验研究。研究结果表明,当无芯光纤长度是15 mm(自映像距离)时,随着液体折射率从1.331 5依次增大至1.390 2,SM-NCF反射光谱逐渐向长波方向偏移,其反射峰谐振波长对应的折射率灵敏度约为197.57 nm·RIU-1,相关系数为0.93;反射峰值强度也呈现逐渐降低趋势,其折射率灵敏度约为-62.80 dB·RIU-1。当无芯光纤长度是20 mm(非自映像距离)时,随着液体折射率依次增大,SM-NCF反射光谱呈现明显双峰现象,且均逐渐向长波方向偏移,dip2谐振峰波长折射率灵敏度约为133 nm·RIU-1,相关系数为0.96;反射峰值强度也呈现逐渐降低趋势,其折射率灵敏度约为-31.66 dB·RIU-1。对比分析可知,不论是从反射峰谐振波长偏移的角度,还是从反射峰值强度的角度,自映像距离长度对应的 SM-NCF终端反射型光纤传感器均具有较高灵敏度。对于相同折射率液体环境,非自映像距离长度对应的SM-NCF反射光谱半波宽度与自映像距离长度相比,呈现显著变窄趋势。相对于SMS透射型传感结构,当传感区域长度相同时,SM-NCF反射型结构能够实现对光波信号的往返两次调节。这种终端反射型SM-NCF传感器改进了传统透射型折射率传感器不便与待测液体相接触的缺点,具有结构简单、易于制作、抗电磁干扰能力强以及便于远程遥测等优点,能够为后续生化与环保监测领域研究应用提供有益支持。     

基于激光微加工的新型光纤法布里-珀罗折射率传感器

提出了一种新型的光纤法布里-珀罗(F-P)折射率传感器,该传感器由单模光纤头端面和靠近该端面的由157 nm激光加工而成的短空气腔构成.短空气腔两个端面的反射光和光纤头端面的反射光发生干涉形成了传感器的反射谱干涉条纹.干涉条纹的对比度受光纤头端面外部的折射率影响,在干涉条纹包络的波谷处具有最大的对比度,外部待测折射率可通过计算该处的对比度得到.传感器对温度不敏感同,测量范围广.在1.33至1.441范围内,折射率灵敏度约为27 dB,分辨率约为1.12X10-4;在1.45～1.62范围内.折射率灵敏度约为24 dB,分辨率约为1.26×10-4.     

High sensitivity refractive index gas sensing enhanced by surface plasmon resonance with nano-cavity antenna array

The surface plasmon resonance gas sensor is presented for refractive index detection using nano-cavity antenna array.The gas sensor monitors the changes of the refractive index by measuring the spectral shift of the resonance dip,for modulating the wavelength of incident light.It is demonstrated that minute changes in the refractive index of a medium close to the surface of a metal film,owing to a shift in the resonance dip of the wavelength,can be detected.The average detection sensitivity is about 3200 nm/RIU(refractive index units),which is more than twice that of a metal grating-based gas sensor.The reflectivity of the surface plasmon resonance dip is only ～ 0.03%,and the full widths at half maximum(FWHMs) of bandwidth of the angle and wavelength are ～ 0.20° and 4.71nm,respectively.     

微米光纤耦合型环境折射率传感器

本文展示一种由两根微米光纤构成的耦合型环境折射率传感器。微米光纤表面存在倏逝波,芯外介质折射率微小的改变将引起倏逝场分布变化,从而导致能量在耦合器两臂中的重新分配。本文通过测量耦合器两端出射光功率的比值来对葡萄糖溶液的浓度进行传感,实验结果表明该微米光纤耦合型传感器的浓度传感灵敏度可达1.58 mol·L~(-1)。本文用耦合模理论详细分析了两根相邻微米光纤的耦合效率与芯外介质折射率之间的关系,发现减小耦合区的光纤的直径,增大入射光波长或增大耦合长度,都可以进一步提高这种传感器的灵敏度。     

Determining particle size distribution and refractive index in a two-layer tissue phantom by linearly polarized light

We report a new method for measuring particle size distribution (PSD) and refractive index of the top layer in a two-layer tissue phantom simulated epithelium tissue by varying the azimuth angle of incident linearly polarized light. The polarization gating technique is used to decouple the single and multiple scattering components in the returned signal. The theoretical model based on Mie theory is presented and a nonlinear inversion method - floating genetic algorithm - is applied to inverting the azimuth dependence of component of polarization light backscattered. The experiment results demonstrate that the size distribution and refractive index of the scatters of the top layer can be determined by measuring and analyzing the differential signal of the parallel and perpendicular components from a two-layer tissue phantom. The method implies to detect precancerous changes in human epithelial tissue.     

一种基于相位测量的角漂移自适应结构表面等离子体共振气体折射率测量系统

提出了一种可抑制角漂移的表面等离子体传感器结构,并结合相位测量设计了相应的气体折射率测量系统。分析表明激光入射角、金膜厚度以及反射光p、s分量的相位差与气体折射率之间的固有非线性是影响相位响应度与折射率测量精度的主要因素。计算表明所提出的自适应结构将角漂移引起的误差降低了一个数量级并很大程度提高了测量灵敏度。同时分析设计了金膜厚度参数,并评估了反射光p、s分量的相位差与气体折射率之间固有非线性带来的误差。应用于空气折射率的测量比对实验显示其测量精度达到了10-6量级。     

涂有半导体气敏薄膜的长周期光纤光栅气敏传感特性理论分析

首先利用耦合模理论研究了长周期光纤光栅LPFG折射率敏感特性,数值计算了长周期光纤光栅透射谱谐振波长与环境介质折射率的关系。其次分析了半导体氧化物气敏膜光学特性机理,当气体与薄膜接触时,气体会使敏感膜的消光系数、吸收系数和相应的折射率发生变化。基于上述两点,提出可将气敏膜涂于光栅表面,利用气敏膜的折射率随环境气体成分和浓度变化而变化的特性,从而影响LPFG透射谱谐振波长的变化,通过检测波长的变化达到探测气体成分和浓度的目的。由于长周期光纤光栅对环境介质折射率的灵敏度高于光纤,且其传感信号属于波长调制,测量信号不受光强波动及光纤损耗的影响,因此其灵敏度比强度型光纤气体传感器高。     

基于全相位滤波技术的光纤表面等离子体共振传感解调算法

基于生物样品检测对折射率传感的迫切需求,构建一种全光纤表面等离子体共振(surface plasmon resonance,SPR)系统,并针对其设计了基于全相位滤波技术的SPR特征波长传感解调算法.基于系统仿真,理论计算了光纤SPR传感器的折射率传感灵敏度.采用全相位滤波技术提取光纤SPR传感器透射光谱的特征波长,理论推导了全相位滤波器的解析表达式.实验结果表明,使用本算法的光纤SPR传感器折射率传感灵敏度为1640.4 nm/RIU,折射率检测的分辨率是7.36×10~(-4)RIU,与传统方法相比,有效提高了系统的检测精度和抗光源扰动性能,降低了实验成本.     

光纤光栅与受激布里渊信号的耦合特性

近年来,光纤布拉格光栅传感器与全分布式光纤传感器的融合技术受到了广泛关注,然而光纤布拉格光栅与布里渊信号之间的耦合特性鲜有报道。本文研究了光栅类型、波长、反射率及光纤的光致折射率对受激布里渊信号的影响规律,并探讨了空间分辨率对光纤布拉格光栅定位功能的影响。实验结果表明,在布里渊光时域分析系统中,光纤布拉格光栅处有尖锐的反射峰,而啁啾光栅、长周期光栅及光致折射率变化的光纤处均未出现尖锐的反射峰;光纤布拉格光栅反射率与受激布里渊散射功率谱无关;当光纤布拉格光栅的波长接近1 550 nm时,对受激布里渊频移测量的影响最大;在8 m的长度范围内,光纤布拉格光栅的定位误差约为4 cm,并且与空间分辨率无关。     

基于2S2G棱镜的新型反向表面等离子共振生物传感器

提出了一种基于反向表面等离子体共振原理,由Ge_(20)Ga_5Sb_(10)S_(65)-钯-石墨烯分子-生物分子四层结构构成的新型生物传感器。当生物分子之间发生相互作用时,引起生物分子层折射率的变化,从而导致反向表面等离子体共振角的偏移。在此基础上,根据传输矩阵法推导了传感器的输出光谱,重点讨论了本文提出的传感器与传统传感器相比,在灵敏度、分辨率、动态检测范围以及检测信号信噪比方面取得的进展。另外,通过对比研究,深入分析了辅助介质层石墨烯厚度对传感器性能的影响。最后,利用近红外光作为提出的传感器的入射光,分析了在近红外区域传感器性能的改善。研究结果表明:单层石墨烯分子使传感器性能达到最佳;反向表面等离子共振峰强度约为入射光强的80%~90%,使传感器的输出信号具有较大的信噪比;在可见光区域,当入射光波长为632.8nm时,提出的反向表面等离子共振生物传感器的分辨率是基于SiO_2棱镜耦合反向表面等离子共振生物传感器的1.9倍,是传统表面等离子共振生物传感器的3.5倍,提出的传感器的动态检测范围约是现有传感器的2倍;利用Ge_(20)Ga_5Sb_(10)S_(65)棱镜可使反向表面等离子共振生物传感器检测光波长由可见光区域扩展到近红外区域,当入射光为1 000nm时,传感器的分辨率是可见光区域的3~4倍。该研究对基于反向表面等离子体共振原理生物传感器的实现与发展具有重要意义。