Enhancing sensitivity of biconical tapered fiber sensors with multiple passes through the taper

Gregory A. Cohoon; Chris T. Boyter; Michael J. Errico; Kurt Vandervoort; Ertan Salik

doi:10.1117/1.3339906

1 March 2010 Enhancing sensitivity of biconical tapered fiber sensors with multiple passes through the taper

Gregory A. Cohoon, Chris T. Boyter, Michael J. Errico, Kurt Vandervoort, Ertan Salik

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 49, Issue 3, 034401 (March 2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3339906

Abstract

A single biconical fiber taper is a simple and low-cost yet powerful sensor. With a distinct strength in refractive index (RI) sensing, biconical tapered fiber sensors can find their place in handheld sensor platforms, especially as biosensors that are greatly needed in health care, environmental protection, food safety, and biodefense. We report doubling of sensitivity for these sensors with two passes through the tapered region, which becomes possible through the use of sensitive and high-dynamic-range photodetectors. In a proof-of-principle experiment, we measured transmission through the taper when it was immersed in isopropyl alcohol-water mixtures of varying concentrations, in which a thin gold layer at the tip of the fiber acted as a mirror enabling two passes through the tapered region. This improved the sensitivity from 0.43 dB/vol % in the single-pass case to 0.78 dB/vol % with two passes through the taper. The refractive index detection limit was estimated to be ~1.2×10^-5 RI units (RIU) and ~0.6×10^-5 RIU in the single- and double-pass schemes, respectively. We predict that further enhancement of sensitivity may be achieved with a higher number of passes through the taper.

©(2010) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Citation Download Citation

Gregory A. Cohoon, Chris T. Boyter, Michael J. Errico, Kurt Vandervoort, and Ertan Salik "Enhancing sensitivity of biconical tapered fiber sensors with multiple passes through the taper," Optical Engineering 49(3), 034401 (1 March 2010). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.3339906

Published: 1 March 2010

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available