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Optical fiber chemical sensors utilizing dye‐doped silicone polymer claddings
Author(s) -
Blyler L. L.,
Lieberman R. A.,
Cohen L. G.,
Ferrara J. A.,
Macchesney J. B.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.760291715
Subject(s) - materials science , cladding (metalworking) , silicone , polymer , fluorescence , siloxane , optical fiber , absorption (acoustics) , doping , fiber , composite material , optoelectronics , optics , physics
Abstract Transparent dimethyl siloxane network polymers with refractive indices near 1.40 may be applied to fused silica fibers ( n = 1.458) as they are drawn to produce plastic‐clad silica (PCS) optical fibers. The evanescent tail of the light energy propagating in the core of such fibers extends into the silicone cladding, where it interacts with chemical species present in the polymer. If the silicone is doped with a dye, the absorption spectrum or fluorescence spectrum of the dye is reflected in the transmission spectrum of the fiber. Further, if the dye changes its absorption spectrum or fluorescence spectrum as a result of diffusion of a chemical species into the silicone, the change is detectable in the fiber output. The polymer material properties which determine the performance of these sensors are described, along with examples of sensors for ammonia and oxygen which utilize either color changing or fluorescent dyes.