Comparison between two detection systems for fiber-optic chemical sensor applications

Two optical detection system designs are compared for fiber-optic chemical sensor applications. A single grating spectrograph with fiber-optic input and photodiodes at three different wavelengths is compared to 1x3 fiber-optic splitters and photodiode detectors with integrated interference filters. The splitters are used to direct the optical power to the filter photodiodes. Three types of 1x3 commercially available splitters were tested: a 400 microm fused glass fiber-optic coupler, a 1000 microm fused plastic fiber-optic coupler, and a 1000 microm glass fiber-optic bundle. This study finds that the fiber-splitter-based detection systems have similar stray light, signal-to-noise ratio, and long-term absorbance stability compared to the spectrograph detection system with a modest improvement in spectral resolution (from approximately 12 nm to approximately 6 nm). It is also much smaller in size and lower in cost. Applications of the two systems in a colorimetric CO2 partial pressure sensor are compared and similar accuracy and precision are achieved.