Subscription Original Research

Design and Fabrication of Tapered Optical Fiber Related Devices

by 
   Keyur Raju Ninawe,    Sahil Narendra Narlawar,    Onkar Shivaji Jadhav,    Ganesh N Gaikwad,
Volume :  14 | Issue :  01 | Received :  March 25, 2024 | Accepted :  May 23, 2024 | Published :  June 14, 2024

[This article belongs to Trends in Opto-electro & Optical Communication(toeoc)]

Keywords

fiber taper, Mach-Zehnder (MZ) interferometer, refractive index (RI) sensor, single mode fibers (SMF).

Abstract

By joining conical single-mode fibers, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a refractive index (RI) sensor was produced. Sensors were made directly from conical SMFs using a Vytran engine. Compared to the single-taper sensor, the dual-taper sensor turned out to be more efficient. With a 10mm gap between the two taper sites in the dual-taper sensor arrangement, the RI fluctuation was quite noticeable. The principles underlying the design and fabrication of tapered optical fiber devices involve the manipulation of light propagation within an optical fiber through controlled geometrical changes. It Enhanced light-matter interaction for improved sensing and photonics applications. High sensitivity to external parameters such as temperature and refractive index changes. Miniaturization and integration of complex optical functionalities into compact devices. Furthermore, the versatility of tapered fiber design allows for customization to specific application requirements, offering high precision and control over device properties. To enhance the sensor’s effectiveness, we investigated how the sensitivity to changes in refractive index correlates with the diameter of the taper waist (TWD), while keeping the length of the taper waist constant. In particular, the sensor showed a RI sensitivity of 976 nm/RIU within a RI range of 0.018 to 0.071 with a taper width of 35.5 µm and a spacing of 10 mm.

Full Text

References

  • Ahsani, Vahid, Farid Ahmed, Martin BG Jun, and Colin “Tapered fiber-optic Mach- Zehnder interferometer for ultra-high sensitivity measurement of refractive index.” Sensors 19, no. 7 (2019): 1652.K. Elissa, “Title of paper if known,” unpublished.
  • Tian, Zhaobing, Scott S-H. Yam, Jack Barnes, Wojtek Bock, Patricia Greig, James M. Fraser, Hans- Peter Loock, and Richard D. Oleschuk. “Refractive index sensing with Mach–Zehnder interferometer based on concatenating two single-mode fiber tapers.” IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 20, no. 8 (2008): 626-628.J. Clerk Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd , vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon, 1892, pp.68–73.
  • Wang, Qi, Lingxin Kong, Yunli Dang, Feng Xia, Yongwei Zhang, Yong Zhao, Haifeng Hu, and Jin “High sensitivity refractive index sensor based on splicing points tapered SMF-PCF-SMF structure Mach-Zehnder mode interferometer.” Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 225 (2016): 213-220.Y. Yorozu, M. Hirano, K. Oka, and Y. Tagawa, “Electron spectroscopy studies on magneto- optical media and plastic substrate interface,” IEEE Transl. J. Magn. Japan, vol. 2, pp. 740–741, August 1987 [Digests 9th Annual Conf. Magnetics Japan, p. 301, 1982].
  • Wu, D.; Zhu, T.; Deng, M.; Duan, D.-W.; Shi, L.-L.; Yao, J.; Rao, Y.-J. Refractive index sensing based on Mach–Zehnder interferometer formed by three cascaded single-mode fiber tapers. Appl. 2011, 50, 1548–1553. [CrossRef] [PubMed].
  • Li, ; Xia, L.; Xie, Z.; Hao, L.; Shuai, B.; Liu, D. In-line fiber Mach– Zehnder interferometer for simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature based on thinned fiber. Sens. Actuators A 2012, 180, 19–24.
  • Smietana, M.; Korwin-Pawlowski, M.L.; Bock, W.J.; Pickrell, G.R.; Szmidt, J. Refractive index sensing of fiber optic long-period grating structures coated with a plasma deposited diamond-like carbon thin Meas. Sci. Technol. 2008, 19, 085301.
  • Wu, D.; Zhao, Y.; Li, J. PCF taper-based Mach–Zehnder interferometer  for refractive index sensing in a PDMS detection Sens. Actuators B 2015, 213, 1–4.
  • Taha BA, Ali N, Sapiee NM, Fadhel MM, Mat Yeh RM, Bachok NN, Al Mashhadany Y, Arsad N. Comprehensive review tapered optical fiber configurations for sensing application: trend and challenges. Biosensors. 2021 Jul 27;11(8):253.
  • Villatoro J, Monzón-Hernández D, Mejía E. Fabrication and modeling of uniform-waist single-mode tapered optical fiber sensors. Applied optics. 2003 May 1;42(13):2278-83.