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Lecture 35

18-04-18
Fiber Optic Sensor Arrays
Surface Plasmon Resonance
Interferometry
Fiber Optic Sensor Arrays

Label-Free Transduction In
Optical Sensors

Surface Plasmon
Interferometric The Resonant
Resonance
Transduction Mirror
Spectrometry
Fiber Optic Sensor Arrays
Theory
Optical fiber bundles can be used as arrays.
A bundle composed of 6000 to 50,000 individual fibers
makes it possible to obtain about 2107 sensors per cm2.
Individual sensor can be formed at the fiber tip (passive
fiber configuration) or onto the fiber core (active fiber
configuration)
Individually addressed sensors at the fiber bundle can be
formed by photopolymerization.
Ex: If methacrylate of the matrix is to be formed, the fiber is
treated with 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate for
copolymerization of the matrix forming monomer.
Optical fiber bundles
• Arrays of optical sensors are suitable for performing
artificial olfaction i.e. identification of particular gas or
vapor mixtures by devices of the artificial nose type.

• An optical electronic nose is obtained by forming an


array of optical sensors, each individual sensor including
a fluorescent indicator embedded in a particular polymer
matrix. When exposed to an organic vapor mixture, each
sensor responds by a change in the fluorescence
wavelength under the combined effect of all components
of the mixture. However, as each component has a
specific affinity for the polymer matrix, it effects in a
specific way the fluorescence, of each individual sensor.
Fiber optic sensor arrays are useful for
various applications such as:

Determination of series of different


analytes like pH, oxygen and carbondioxide
in biological samples.
Label-Free transduction in optical
sensors
• When sensing element interacts with the analyte then to
relay on the changes in the intrinsic property of the sensing
element, label-free transduction methods are desirable.

One such example of Label-free transduction method is


refractive index.

This can be considered as the propagation of electromagnetic


waves through material media.

Ex: Light velocity and wavelength is smaller or lesser in


material media than in vaccum.
n = c/vp = 0/
n is the refractive index of the considered medium
c is velocity and 0 wavelength of light in vaccum
vp phase velocity and  wavelength of light in considered medium

Refractive index is the essential parameter in the light propagation


through media.
It is connected to the electrical and magnetic properties of
propagation medium.

Very small variations in the refractive index can be measured


by various techniques mentioned below. Since these methods
depend on only intrinsic property these are called as label-
free transduction methods.
Two techniques

Surface plasmon resonance

and Interferometry
Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectrometry
(SPR)
• Large group of electrons in the oscillation
state are called plasmons
• Plasmons appear also at the surface of
certain metals under light irradiation
forming surface plasmons, this
phenomenon is known as SPR.
• Occurrence of plasmon resonance in the metal layer depends on three
factors:
Angle of incidence
Wavelength of incident radiation
Refractive index of the sample in which the evanescent wave is extending

Ex: if wavelength is held constant and the angle of incidence is varied, the
intensity of the reflected light attains a minimum at a particular angle called
the surface plasmon resonance angle. The minimum indicates strong
absorption of radiant energy by plasmons. However, the minimum shifts to a
different angle if a minute change in refractive index of sample occurs in
response to recognition event.

Similar dependence can be noticed if the angle of incidence is held constant


and the wavelength of the incident radiation is varied. The wavelength at
which the intensity of the reflected light is at a minimum (called as plasmon
wavelength) is also sensitive to the refractive index of the sample
Interferometric Transduction

 = 2m  = m

Constructive and out of phase destructive


Normal glass (left) compared with glass with an anti-reflective
coating (right). The anti-reflective coating makes use of destructive
interference of light waves in order to cancel out the glare.
Mach-Zehnder interferometer-An
optical sensor
cladding n2

L
I0 I
n1

Coherent
beam
produced
by laser
Working principle Concept in Mach-Zehnder
Interferometer
• In this, coherent beam produced by a laser is split into two
beams by means by waveguides that are of single –
polarization and single –mode type. The two beams meet
at exit waveguide and are sent to the detector. If the two
paths have the same lengths and optical properties, there
is no phase shift and constructive interference occurs.

• However, if on one portion of the test path cladding is


removed and replaced with sensing layer, the test beam
interacts with this layer by means of evanescent wave.
Thus, the propagating light experiences the effect of
refractive index of sensing layer. As a result the test beam
is phase shifted with respect to reference beam.
Consequently, the exit light intensity is smaller than the
incident light and the resulting wave is shifted with the
angle  offset of the reference beam.
• Owing to the interference of the two waves, the
intensity of the exit beam depends on the
propagation parameters of the test arm as follows:

I()/I0 = 1/2 [1+cos(2Lneff)/]


neff is effective refractive index that quantifies the phase delay per unit
length in a waveguide
neff is the difference in the refractive indexes in the measuring and
test arm
L, length of the measuring window
I0 and I() are the intensities of incident and exit beams.

Allows to monitor affinity reactions occurring at sensing part


Young-type waveguide interferometer
Working principle Concept in Young Interferometer
• In this device, two similar light beams pass through
the parallel reference and sensing wave guides. Like in
the previous case, a sensing layer is formed over the
core surface of the sensing waveguide and there by
modifies the phase angle of the sensing beam.
Divergent beam at the exit of each channel interfere
producing interference fringes on the detector screen.
• The spatial distribution of the intensity I(x) along the
detector screen is:
I(x) = 1+ cos((2nd/0 fs) x -)
n is the refractive index of the cladding
d is the distance between the two wave guide optics
0 wavelength in vaccum
fs is the distance between the detector screen
 represents the additional phase shift produces by the
difference between the refractive indexes on each path, neff

 = (2L/0) neff

If the particular intensity on the screen is selected, it shifts on


the screen surface with distance x in response to a change in
neff as

x = (fs L/d)neff

x represents the response signal of Young Interferometer


The Resonant Mirror
• Its an assembly formed of:
(a) A coupling prism
(b) Coated with a low refractive index layer
(c) Over which a very thin high refractive index layer is
formed

This arrangement gives rise to a leaky wave guide mode as the


mode in one layer expands into the mode in other layer and
further into prism as a constant-amplitude wave. Therefore, the
light is not confined to one layer but leaks into the prism
producing the reflected beam. This phenomenon is called
frustrated total internal reflection
A change in the refractive index of the sensing layer as a result of
recognition produces a change in the incidence angle that produces a
resonance. Therefore, response signal of resonance mirror sensor is
the incidence angle that gives rise to maximal reflected intensity.

Response depends on thickness and refractive index of sensing layer.


The Resonant Mirror

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