Robust microfiber photonic microcells for sensor and device applications

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Fiber optics
• Sensor technology

Background:

• Microfibers (MFs) offer unique optical properties but are fragile.
• Encapsulation is crucial for protecting MFs in practical sensing systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize in-line photonic microcells (PMCs) for enhanced microfiber (MF) protection.
• To demonstrate the sensing capabilities of PMCs with encapsulated highly birefringent (Hi-Bi) MFs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PMCs by encapsulating tapered MFs within glass tubes.
• Integration of Hi-Bi MF-based PMCs into a fiber Sagnac loop interferometer.
• Characterization of sensor performance for pressure, temperature, and refractive index (RI).

Main Results:

• PMCs successfully isolated MFs from the external environment.
• Demonstrated PMCs as effective platforms for pressure, temperature, and RI sensors.
• Achieved high RI sensitivity of 2024 nm/RIU in gas and 21231 nm/RIU in water using a Hi-Bi microfiber PMC Sagnac interferometer.

Conclusions:

• In-line PMCs provide a robust solution for microfiber-based sensing.
• The developed sensor platform exhibits excellent sensitivity and potential for diverse environmental monitoring applications.