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Twisted Optical Micro/Nanofibers Enabled Detection of Subtle Temperature Variation.
Xingda Song1,2, Qi Wang1, Qiulan Liu3
1Research Center for Humanoid Sensing, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311121, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 27, 2023
Summary
A novel flexible optical temperature sensor using micro/nanofibers achieves ultrahigh sensitivity for applications in robotics and healthcare. This technology enables precise temperature detection for collision avoidance and microfluidic monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Subtle temperature variations are critical in robotics, microfluidics, and healthcare.
- Existing sensors often lack the required sensitivity or miniaturization for these applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a flexible, miniaturized optical temperature sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity and resolution.
- To demonstrate the sensor's utility in proximity sensing for robotics and temperature monitoring in microfluidics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a flexible optical temperature sensor by embedding twisted micro/nanofibers in polydimethylsiloxane.
- Utilizing the dramatic change in coupling ratio with temperature variation for sensing.
- Demonstrating proof-of-concept in a robotic arm and microfluidic chip.
Main Results:
- Achieved ultrahigh sensitivity of -30 nm/°C and high resolution of 0.0012 °C.
- Successfully demonstrated collision avoidance in a robotic arm by detecting human-induced temperature variations.
- Enabled real-time temperature measurement in microfluidic chips.
Conclusions:
- The developed optical temperature sensor offers a promising solution for applications requiring high-sensitivity, miniaturized temperature detection.
- This technology has potential for advanced robotic skin, human-machine interfaces, and implantable healthcare sensors.
