Open AccessOptical detection of volatile organic compounds using selective tensile effects of a polymer-coated fiber Bragg grating
Author(s) -
Chang-sub Park,
Yeonjeong Han,
K. Joo,
Yong Wook Lee,
ShinWon Kang,
HakRin Kim
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.18.024753
Subject(s) - materials science , fiber bragg grating , cladding (metalworking) , optics , optical fiber , polymer , fiber optic sensor , isotropic etching , optoelectronics , fiber , wavelength , composite material , etching (microfabrication) , layer (electronics) , physics
We demonstrated a novel selective chemical sensing approach by incorporating a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-coated fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structure for optically detecting various volatile organic compounds (VOC's). When the proposed structure is exposed to a nonpolar solvent, a tensile stress is induced between the coated PDMS and the optical fiber by a VOC-dependent swelling effect of the PDMS, which results in a Bragg wavelength shift dependent on the concentration and the type of VOC's. Because of no need of an etching process of a fiber cladding, the proposed PDMS-coated FBG can be used as a simple, convenient, and durable chemical sensing element with a high sensitivity, compared with conventional FBG sensors requiring an evanescent wave coupling.