An integrated photoluminescence sensing platform using a single-multi-mode fiber coupler-based probe.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Sensing
• Biophotonics

Background:

• Fiber optic sensors are crucial for remote and in-situ measurements.
• Improving fluorescence signal collection efficiency is key to enhancing sensor sensitivity.
• Existing fiber optic probes often involve complex optics and alignment procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate an integrated fiber optic photoluminescence sensing platform.
• To introduce a novel single-multi-mode fiber coupler (SMFC)-based probe for improved fluorescence signal collection.
• To evaluate the performance of the SMFC probe in terms of efficiency, signal-to-noise ratio, and sensitivity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a single-multi-mode fiber coupler (SMFC) using fused biconical taper technology.
• Integration of the SMFC into a fiber optic sensing platform for both excitation light transmission and fluorescence signal collection.
• Experimental evaluation using standard fluorescent targets and a biological sample (Tall Fescue leaf).

Main Results:

• The SMFC probe demonstrated significantly higher fluorescence collection efficiency, exceeding eight-fold improvement compared to a bifurcated fiber probe.
• The integrated system exhibited enhanced signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity due to the SMFC's design.
• The platform proved effective for measuring fluorescence spectra of diverse targets.

Conclusions:

• The novel SMFC-based fiber optic probe offers a simple yet highly efficient solution for photoluminescence sensing.
• This integrated platform minimizes optical complexity and alignment requirements, making it practical for various applications.
• The enhanced collection efficiency and sensitivity pave the way for more robust and sensitive optical sensing technologies.