Compact Mach–Zehnder Interferometer Based on Tapered Hollow Optical Fiber

Author

Cong-Cong Zhu ; Yong-Sen Yu ; Xuan-Yu Zhang ; Chao Chen ; Ju-Fa Liang ; Zi-Jian Liu ; Ai-Hua Meng ; Shi-Mei Jing ; Hong-Bo Sun

Author_Institution

State Key Lab. on Integrated Optoelectron., Jilin Univ., Changchun, China

Volume

27

Issue

12

fYear

2015

fDate

June15, 15 2015

Firstpage

1277

Lastpage

1280

Abstract

A compact fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on tapered hollow optical fiber (THOF) has been demonstrated. The THOF is sandwiched between two single mode fibers (SMFs), forming a SMF-THOF-SMF (STS) structure. The discharging during the splicing and tapering processes induces the collapsed regions in the hollow fiber, which form the modal coupling/re-coupling areas of the interferometer. The THOF has a length of about 2 mm and the taper waist diameter is about 66.5 μm. The refractive index (RI), stress, and temperature response properties of the STS interferometer have been investigated, which show a high RI sensitivity and low temperature cross-sensitivity. The STS interferometer holds the merits of compact structure, low cost and easy fabrication, making it a suitable candidate in the biochemical and physical sensing fields.

Keywords

Mach-Zehnder interferometers; fibre optic sensors; optical fibre fabrication; refractive index; refractive index measurement; splicing; stress measurement; temperature measurement; temperature sensors; SMF-THOF-SMF structure; THOF; biochemical sensing; compact Mach-Zehnder interferometer; fiber splicing; fiber tapering; low temperature cross-sensitivity; modal coupling areas; modal recoupling areas; physical sensing; refractive index; single mode fibers; stress response properties; tapered hollow optical fiber; temperature response properties; Optical fiber sensors; Optical fibers; Sensitivity; Stress; Temperature measurement; Temperature sensors; Fiber optical sensor; Mach-Zehnder interferometer; fiber taper; hollow optical fiber;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LPT.2015.2417212

Filename

7072479