Open AccessTapered multicore fiber interferometer for ultra-sensitive temperature sensing with thermo-optical materials
Author(s) -
Shu Cheng,
Wenbin Hu,
Hongrui Ye,
Lijun Wu,
Qinyou Li,
Ai Zhou,
Minghong Yang,
Qiang Zhao,
Donglai Guo
Publication year - 2021
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.441896
Subject(s) - materials science , interferometry , optics , optical fiber , sensitivity (control systems) , fiber optic sensor , photonic crystal fiber , interference (communication) , photonics , single mode optical fiber , optoelectronics , electronic engineering , telecommunications , channel (broadcasting) , physics , computer science , engineering
An in-line interferometer based on tapered multicore embedded into a flexible thermo-optical material is proposed and investigated, theoretically and experimentally. The device consists of a tapered multicore fiber spliced between two single-mode fibers covered with PDMS, with high thermo-optic coefficient. The temperature sensitivity improvement obtained from PDMS applied on a tapered multicore fiber (TMCF) interferometer has been fundamentally and experimentally verified. The experimental results show the temperature sensitivity can be improved by reducing the tapered waist diameter of TMCF. The sensor exhibits the high sensitivity of 5-25 nm/°C within the decreasing temperature range from 50 °C down to 10 °C. A sequence of simulations and corresponding experiments are performed to clarify the evolution of the interference fading and consequently build the criteria for sensor design and reachable lower limit of temperature sensing. The proposed sensor can be employed as photonic thermometer with ultra-high sensitivity for biological and deep-sea applications, particularly based on the claimed quantitative criteria.