Laser-micromachined Fabry-Perot optical fiber tip sensor for high-resolution temperature-independent measurement of refractive index

Opt Express. 2008 Feb 4;16(3):2252-63. doi: 10.1364/oe.16.002252.

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate a Fabry-Perot (F-P) optical fiber tip sensor for high-resolution refractive-index measurement fabricated by using 157-nm laser micromachining, for the first time to our knowledge. The sensor head consists of a short air F-P cavity near the tip of a single-mode fiber and the fiber tip. The external refractive index is determined according to the maximum fringe contrast of the interference fringes in the reflective spectrum of the sensor. Such a sensor can provide temperature-independent measurement of practically any refractive index larger than that of air and offers a refractive-index resolution of ~4 x 10(-5) in its linear operating range. The experimental data agree well with the theoretical results.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Fiber Optic Technology / instrumentation*
  • Lasers*
  • Optical Fibers
  • Refractometry / instrumentation*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Temperature
  • Transducers*