Sensitivity enhanced and polarization independent evanescent field planar ridge waveguide Bragg grating refractometer

X. Dai; S. J. Mihailov; R. B. Walker; C. L. Callender; C. Blanchetière; J. Jiang

doi:10.1117/12.629500

8 November 2005 Sensitivity enhanced and polarization independent evanescent field planar ridge waveguide Bragg grating refractometer

X. Dai, S. J. Mihailov, R. B. Walker, C. L. Callender, C. Blanchetière, J. Jiang

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5993, Advanced Environmental, Chemical, and Biological Sensing Technologies III; 59930T (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.629500
Event: Optics East 2005, 2005, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Optical Bragg grating sensors based on side polished or etched waveguides have been demonstrated for the measurement of refractive index [1, 2, 3, 4]. However, these devices typically exhibit polarization dependent behavior for index values around 1.3. In this report, a ridge waveguide Bragg grating (WBG) sensor with high sensitivity, for refractive index measurement in liquids is presented. The device is based on a small core size silica open top cladding ridge waveguide and polarization independent Bragg gratings (PIBG) written and optimized using UV light [5,6,7]. The WBG is surrounded by a liquid analyte and is accessed via evanescent field interaction of the guided waveguide mode with the liquid layer. In the theoretical analysis, enhancement of sensitivity by optimizing waveguide structures is proposed. In the experiment, Bragg grating is induced in the open top cladding ridge waveguide using a phase mask and excimer laser radiation at 193 nm. A series of refractive index matching liquids are used to test the device. Results indicate the sensitivity is as high as 50 pm of wavelength shift for a change of the index 3×10^-4. This technology can offer many advantages over previously proposed waveguide sensors, including enhanced sensitivity, and dynamic measurement range, better polarization stability, and a simpler fabrication processes.

Citation Download Citation

X. Dai, S. J. Mihailov, R. B. Walker, C. L. Callender, C. Blanchetière, and J. Jiang "Sensitivity enhanced and polarization independent evanescent field planar ridge waveguide Bragg grating refractometer", Proc. SPIE 5993, Advanced Environmental, Chemical, and Biological Sensing Technologies III, 59930T (8 November 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.629500

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