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Bent optical fiber taper for refractive index measurements with tunable sensitivity
Author(s) -
da Silveira Clenilson R.,
Costa João C. W. A.,
RoccoGiraldi Maria Thereza M.,
Jorge Pedro,
López Barbero Andrés Pablo,
Germano Sydney Bragantine
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
microwave and optical technology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1098-2760
pISSN - 0895-2477
DOI - 10.1002/mop.28984
Subject(s) - optics , normalized frequency (unit) , refractive index , graded index fiber , materials science , step index profile , radius of curvature , optical fiber , curvature , radius , bend radius , fiber optic sensor , sensitivity (control systems) , bent molecular geometry , tilt (camera) , bending , physics , mathematics , engineering , geometry , phase locked loop , computer security , electronic engineering , frequency synthesizer , mean curvature , mean curvature flow , computer science , composite material , phase noise
This letter presents experimental results of a refractive index sensor using a bent optical fiber taper. The approach of this sensor is based on an in‐line Michelson interferometer implemented with a single mode tapered fiber with a cleaved tip end and changing tilt angle, enabling to tune its refractive index sensitivity. Several radii of curvature are tested and their refractive index sensitivities are analyzed for a refractive index range between 1.333 and 1.405. A clear enhancement of the sensor response is achieved at specific taper bending radii. A substantial improvement in the refractive index sensitivity, at values very close to distilled water, is obtained with a radius of curvature of 11 mm. A significant enhancement of the sensor response is also achieved for a refractive index close to 1.40 with a radius of curvature of 16.5 mm. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:921–924, 2015