Photonic crystal fiber long-period grating absorption gas sensor based on a tunable erbium-doped fiber ring laser

Shijie Zheng, Masoud Ghandehari, Jinping Ou

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

It has been a persistent challenge to quantify gas emissions from industrial byproducts and warfare agents for environmental protection purposes, especially to detect multiple gas species using one device with high sensitivity and selectivity. To overcome this issue, a photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based spectroscopic absorption sensing platform is proposed. We combine the PCF and long-period grating (LPG), two fundamental elements of fiber optics, into one functional unit to investigate the coupling properties of various PCF cladding modes. Further, we synchronize the PCF-LPG with a tunable Er-doped fiber ring laser into a thermo-stable and compact absorption spectroscopic sensor as a proof-of-concept for gas sensing. Because the Er-doped fiber ring laser can be tuned within the C-band wavelength, multiple gases can be recorded with the absorption spectra in one sensing operation. As a demonstration, the sensor was tested in NH3 with multiple gases combined, a sensitivity up to 17.3 nW/ppm was achieved. The PCF-LPG-based gas sensors are easy-to-fabricate, cost-effective, and can be used in various applications where conventional fiber-optic sensors are not applicable.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)324-332
Number of pages9
JournalSensors and Actuators, B: Chemical
Volume223
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2016

Keywords

  • Absorption spectroscopy
  • Fiber ring lasers
  • Fiber-optic sensors
  • Long-period gratings
  • Photonic crystal fiber

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Instrumentation
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Metals and Alloys
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Materials Chemistry

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