Multi-parameter measurement sensor based on an MMF-TCF-MMF structure.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Sensing
• Fiber Optic Sensors
• Plasmonics

Background:

• Multi-parameter sensing is crucial for environmental monitoring and biomedical applications.
• Existing fiber optic sensors often face limitations in simultaneous measurement capabilities.
• Integrating multiple sensing mechanisms can enhance sensor performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a novel multi-parameter fiber optic sensor.
• To achieve simultaneous measurement of refractive index, temperature, and curvature.
• To leverage the combined principles of Mach-Zehnder interference and surface plasmon resonance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a multimode fiber-thin-core fiber-multimode fiber structure.
• Fusion-splicing techniques to create the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) configuration.
• Deposition of a silver coating on the thin-core fiber to excite surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated a refractive index sensitivity of 3235.12 nm/RIU.
• Temperature sensitivity was measured at 78.4 pm/°C.
• Curvature sensitivity reached -2.717 nm/m⁻¹.
• Simultaneous multi-parameter measurement was achieved using a sensing matrix.

Conclusions:

• The developed fiber optic sensor enables simultaneous measurement of key environmental and physical parameters.
• The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, a compact size, and a straightforward fabrication process.
• Potential applications include environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and industrial process control.