High-sensitivity fiber-tip liquid level sensor with welded AuSn nano-film.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Traditional liquid-level sensors face challenges in harsh underwater environments.
• Developing robust and sensitive sensors is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel method for preparing nanoscale hermetic composite films using AuSn alloy.
• To fabricate a fiber-optic Fabry-Pérot interferometer (FPI) based liquid-level sensor.
• To evaluate the sensor's performance for underwater applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of nanoscale hermetic composite films using AuSn alloy.
• Integration of the AuSn alloy film with a fiber-optic Fabry-Pérot interferometer.
• Characterization of the sensor's sensitivity, resolution, and measurement range.

Main Results:

• The sensor achieved a liquid-level sensitivity of approximately 260 pm/cm.
• A liquid-level resolution of approximately 0.01 cm was demonstrated.
• The sensor exhibited a wide liquid-level measurement range of approximately 403 cm.

Conclusions:

• The proposed AuSn alloy composite film FPI sensor offers high sensitivity and excellent stability for liquid-level measurement.
• The sensor shows significant potential for long-term underwater multi-parameter sensing applications.