Fiber-tip Fabry-Pérot interferometer with a graphene-Au-Pd cantilever for trace hydrogen sensing

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Chemical Sensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Increasing demand for hydrogen energy necessitates advanced trace hydrogen detection.
• Existing methods for hydrogen sensing face limitations in sensitivity and response time.
• Fiber-optic sensors offer a promising avenue for remote and safe monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly sensitive fiber-optic hydrogen sensor.
• To utilize a Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) with a novel cantilever structure for hydrogen detection.
• To achieve rapid and reliable detection of low hydrogen concentrations.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a fiber-tip Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (FPI) sensor.
• Integration of a submicron film cantilever coated with graphene, gold (Au), and palladium (Pd).
• Monitoring resonant frequency shifts in the FPI due to hydrogen interaction with the Pd film.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated effective detection of hydrogen concentrations from 0-1000 ppm.
• Achieved a highest sensitivity of 30.3 pm ppm^-1 in the 0-100 ppm range.
• Realized a rapid response time of 31.5 seconds for real-time monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The developed FPI-based sensor provides a compact, all-optical solution for trace hydrogen detection.
• The sensor exhibits significantly higher sensitivity compared to previous FPI-based sensors.
• This technology is a viable alternative for hydrogen safety monitoring in aerospace, energy, and medical fields.