Numerical analysis of plasmon polarition refractive index fiber sensors with hollow core and a long period grating

The main principle of this design is based on the efficient energy transfer between the waveguide mode (WM) and the co-directional SPP provided by a properly designed fiber long period grating (LPG). This LPG is imprinted into a waveguide fiber layer of a specially designed hollow core optical fiber. The simulations are based on the finite element method (FEM) algorithm in electromagnetics and coupled mode theory for gratings. Compared to the previous proposed structure using a fiber Bragg grating (FBG), this novel kind of sensor can greatly enhance the refractive index sensitivity, e.g., from 5.93 nm/RIU (with FBG) to 817 nm/RIU (with LPG) at the sensing refractive index of 1.40. The other advantage is that the working conditions can be performed for the well-developed telecom wavelength windows 1500-1600 nm.     

Determination of the refractive index profile of a symmetric fiber preform by the transport of intensity equation

The refractive index profile of an axially symmetric fiber preform is determined by using the transport of intensity equation. In this method the preform is immersed in an index-matching liquid, and a collimated light beam impinges on it laterally. The intensity distributions of the transmitted light are measured on two close parallel planes inside the preform core. From the recorded intensity distributions, the deflection function is calculated by the transport of intensity equation. The refractive index profile is obtained by means of Abel inversion. Also, for comparison, the refractive index profile of the preform is measured by the focusing method and the results are in agreement with less than 3% error.     

X射线在折射率连续变化等离子体介质中的传播

 从Maxwell方程出发，得到了X射线光束在非均匀等离子体介质中传播的类衍射积分解，并从理论和数值模拟上着重讨论了折射率梯度效应对光束参数的影响。结果表明，在等离子体电子密度分布较高的区域，梯度效应明显，它直接影响光束的光强分布、衍射效应和光束的偏转程度。     

基于单端探测温度和折射率的MZI光纤传感器

提出并演示了一种基于单端探测的光纤传感器,可同时测量温度和折射率。微结构光纤探头由两个玻璃光纤微球拼接在一起,并在该探头的末端利用真空电子束蒸镀一层铝膜以增加反射,从而形成微球结构的马赫-曾德尔型光纤传感头。实验结果表明,该器件的温度灵敏度和折射率可分别达到50.77 pm/℃和-21.94 nm/RIU。这项工作提出了一种低成本、高分辨率的基于光纤方法实现的多功能传感应用。单端探测的马赫曾德尔型光纤传感器小尺寸的优势可应用到小体积气体的测量,而它的全二氧化硅设计提供了高温或化学严酷环境的兼容性。     

Theoretical and experimental studies on coupler based fiber optic displacement sensor with concave mirror

A new fiber optic displacement sensor (FODS) is proposed and demonstrated using a multimode fiber coupler as a sensor probe and a concave mirror as a reflective target. A mathematical model is also developed to investigate the performance of proposed FODS at various coupling ratio, fiber diameter, and surrounding media. Three slopes are obtained for the displacement response where the third slope starts at a displacement position of twice the focal length. The numerical results show that higher performance is attained at lower coupler ratio of 50:50 or smaller core diameter. The results also show that the proposed FODS has a potential application in liquid and gas chemical sensors. The experimental performances are also investigated for the proposed sensor where it is observed that the second peak of the displacement curve is located at exactly two times of the focal length or 20 mm.     

Highly sensitive cladding-etched arc-induced long-period fiber gratings for refractive index sensing

We have investigated the effects of cladding etching in arc-induced long-period fiber gratings. Comparing the position of the resonant wavelengths at each diameter with the corresponding theoretical dispersion curves of effective refractive index, it is found that some of the resonances show a better match with anti-symmetrical cladding modes, while others with symmetrical cladding modes. Etching the cladding diameter to ∼39 μm, results in coupling to a high-order cladding mode that is very sensitive to changes in the ambient refractive index. The resonant peak shifts remarkably (∼230 nm) toward shorter wavelengths as the external refractive index increases. This sensitivity is higher than any previously reported in arc-induced long-period fiber gratings.     

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.     

Laser-based optical facility for determination of refractive index of liquids

Refractive index knowledge is an important parameter when physical properties of liquids are investigated. For the easy and fast determination of refractive index of liquids, we established a computer-controlled optical facility in National Metrology Institute of Turkey, based on laser beam deviation technique. Basic components of the established facility are stabilized laser sources, temperature-controlled rectangular cells, servomotor-controlled knife edges and trap detectors. The facility was used to measure the refractive index of four liquids; pure water, acetone, methanol and n-propyl alcohol. Temperature and dispersion characterizations of each liquid were also investigated and are presented in this paper.     

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].     

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.     

Introduction of equilibrium-constant method into flame's temperature reconstruction from the measurement of refractive index

The Equilibrium-Constant Method is introduced to flame's temperature reconstruction for the combustion region from the experimentally measured refractive index. The mole fractions of species composition are described as the functions of equivalence ratio, temperature and pressure. Based on which, the dependence of the mole fractions on temperature and pressure can be obtained once the equivalence ratio is known. Finally, the temperatures which are reconstructed based on the method proposed by us are compared with those of obtained by previous method, as well as the imperfectness of the proposed method is analyzed and discussed.     

The refractive index changes derived from thermal effects in Bragg fiber laser

The temperature distribution and the thermal stress distribution of Bragg fiber laser are analyzed by solving thermal transfer equations. The changes of refractive index derived from the temperature and the thermal stress are discussed separately. Results indicate that the change of index refraction caused by temperature is larger than by thermal stress.     

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.     

Linear and nonlinear intersubband optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes with the ring-shaped non-spherical oscillator potential

Linear and nonlinear intersubband optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes with the ring-shaped non-spherical oscillator potential (RNOP) are theoretically investigated within the framework of the compact-density-matrix approach and iterative method. The energy levels and the wave functions of an electron in the RNOP are obtained by using the effective mass approximation. It is found that the optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes are strongly affected not only by the dimensionless parameters γ$\gamma$ and β$\beta$, but also by the confinement frequency _ω0${\omega }_0$.     

Automatic determination of refractive index profile of fibers having regular and/or irregular transverse sections considering the refraction of light rays by the fiber

A new model, using non-destructive two- and/or multiple-beam interferometric techniques, is suggested for measuring the refractive index profile of fibers having regular and/or irregular cross-sectional shape taking into consideration the refraction of the light rays by the fiber. The proposed model is applied for three different fibers having different cross-sectional shapes and different refractive index profiles. These fibers are PPT, homogeneous fiber, with circular cross-section, graded index optical fiber of circular cross-sectional shape and Dralon fiber of irregular cross-section. To validate the proposed model it is used, firstly, to calculate the index profile for a standard PPT fiber. Secondly, the calculated results for the irregular Dralon fiber and GR-IN optical fiber are compared with that calculated using other conventional method. From this comparison, we recommend that the refraction must be taken into account to obtain accurate results especially for birefringent fibers and graded index optical fibers.     

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.     

Zygo interferometer for measuring refractive index of liquids and its application for heavy water analysis

The Zygo interferometer for measuring refractive index of liquids such as heavy water is presented. The accuracy of measurement in the refractive index of liquids is found to be ±0.0002 in the Zygo interferometer. An application of Zygo interferometer for heavy water analysis is also presented. The interferometer is found to be useful for determining the percentage purity of heavy water with an accuracy of ±5% in the purity range of 0–100%.     

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.     

Linear and nonlinear intersubband optical absorption and refractive index changes of asymmetric double semi-parabolic quantum wells

The optical properties of the asymmetric double semi-parabolic quantum wells (DSPQWs) are investigated numerically for typical GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs. Optical properties are obtained using the compact density matrix approach. In this work, effects of the structure parameters such as the barrier width and the well widths on the optical properties of the asymmetric DSPQWs are investigated. The results show that the linear and nonlinear optical properties of asymmetric DSPQW are non-monotonic functions of these structure parameters. The behavior of the refractive index changes of asymmetric DSPQW with the variation of the barrier width is different substantially with that of symmetric DSPQW. Results reveal that the resonant peak values of the total absorption coefficient of asymmetric DSPQW is usually greater than that of symmetric DSPQW. Our calculations also show that the total absorption coefficient of asymmetric DSPQW is larger than that of asymmetric double square quantum well.     

Refractive index measurement with long-period gratings arc-induced in pure-silica-core fibres

We have investigated the sensitivity of arc-induced long-period gratings to changes of ambient refractive index. Two pure-silica-core fibres with different cladding diameters and a standard fibre were used in this study. For a 6 × 10⁻³ change of the refractive index, a 240 pm shift of the resonant wavelength was achieved with long-period gratings written in the 125 μm cladding diameter pure-silica-core fibre.