Highly sensitive dual eccentric-core D-type PQF-SPR methane sensor.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Sensing
• Materials Science

Background:

• Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensors are crucial for gas detection.
• Existing sensors may lack the required sensitivity or real-time monitoring capabilities for methane.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and analyze a novel photonic quasi-crystal fiber SPR methane sensor.
• To enhance SPR effect using a dual eccentric-core D-shaped structure.
• To achieve high sensitivity for methane detection.

Main Methods:

• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was employed to study sensing properties.
• A dual eccentric-core D-shaped photonic quasi-crystal fiber was designed.
• Zinc oxide, gold, and methane-sensitive films were deposited on a grooved structure.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated optimal sensitivity of 140 nm/% and average wavelength sensitivity of 71.43 nm/% for 0%-3.5% methane concentrations.
• The dual eccentric-core D-shaped structure effectively enhanced the SPR effect.
• High sensitivity was achieved through optimized structural parameters.

Conclusions:

• The designed sensor exhibits high sensitivity and potential for real-time methane monitoring.
• Its small size and high performance indicate significant commercial viability for methane leak detection.
• This work advances the development of optical fiber sensors for environmental monitoring.