Vernier effect assisted sucrose sensor based on a cascaded Sagnac interferometer with no-core fiber

Area of Science:

• Optical Sensing
• Interferometry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate monitoring of sucrose concentration is crucial in food, chemical, and agricultural industries.
• Existing sensing methods may lack sensitivity, cost-effectiveness, or ease of fabrication.
• Fiber optic sensors offer potential for non-invasive and sensitive measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel sucrose concentration sensor.
• To enhance sensor sensitivity using the Vernier effect.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance for practical applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fiber Sagnac interferometer with no-core fiber (SI-NCF).
• Implemented the Vernier effect by introducing a secondary Sagnac interferometer (SI) with a similar free spectral range.
• Measured wavelength shifts in the SI-NCF upon exposure to sucrose solutions.

Main Results:

• A single SI-NCF demonstrated a sucrose concentration sensitivity of 2.97 nm/M.
• The Vernier effect enhanced the sensitivity to -13.84 nm/M, a 4.66-fold improvement.
• The sensor exhibited high sensitivity, ease of fabrication, and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SI-NCF sensor based on the Vernier effect is a highly sensitive and practical solution for sucrose concentration monitoring.
• The sensor's advantages make it suitable for applications in the food industry, chemistry, and agriculture.
• Further research could explore integration into real-time monitoring systems.