Graphene Oxide in Lossy Mode Resonance-Based Optical Fiber Sensors for Ethanol Detection

The influence of graphene oxide (GO) over the features of an optical fiber ethanol sensor based on lossy mode resonances (LMR) has been studied in this work. Four different sensors were built with this aim, each comprising a multimode optical fiber core fragment coated with a SnO2 thin film. Layer by layer (LbL) coatings made of 1, 2 and 4 bilayers of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and graphene oxide were deposited onto three of these devices and their behavior as aqueous ethanol sensors was characterized and compared with the sensor without GO. The sensors with GO showed much better performance with a maximum sensitivity enhancement of 176% with respect to the sensor without GO. To our knowledge, this is the first time that GO has been used to make an optical fiber sensor based on LMR

High-performance optical fiber humidity sensor based on lossy mode resonance using a nanostructured polyethylenimine and graphene oxide coating

In this study, a rapid optical fiber sensor for humidity with high sensitivity and wide detection range has been constructed, based on lossy mode resonance (LMR). A thin film made of alternating polyethylenimine (PEI) and graphene oxide (GO) layers was selected as sensitive coating. It was deposited on a SnO2-sputtered fiber core in a dip-assisted layer-by-layer assembly. The structure and surface chemistry of the raw materials were investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Key properties such as sensitivity, linearity, hysteresis, stability and response and recovery times were characterized. The sensor exhibited excellent sensitivity, especially at high relative humidity (RH) levels, and short reaction and retrieval periods. This research provides a viable and practical way to fabricate high performance humidity optical fiber sensors with GO-based nanostructured coatings

Lossy Mode Resonance Generation by Graphene Oxide Coatings onto Cladding-Removed Multimode Optical Fiber

In this work, we have studied the suitability of graphene oxide-based thin films to be not only excellent sensitive coatings but also lossy mode resonance (LMR)-generating materials. Thin films of graphene oxide (GO) and polyethylenimine (PEI) fabricated by means of layer-by-layer assembly were selected in this study. Two optical fiber devices with 8 and 20 bilayers of the LMR-generating coating were fabricated and characterized as refractometers. Both devices show no hysteresis and high sensitivity, improving previously reported values. This research opens very promising and exciting possibilities in the field of optical fiber sensors based on LMR, strategically including specific recognition groups to the device surface to exploit this high sensitivity for monitoring a range of target analytes. The carboxylate functional groups at the edges of the GO sheets should provide excellent attachment sites for the required coupling chemistry to realize such devices

Route Towards a Label-free Optical Waveguide Sensing Platform Based on Lossy Mode Resonances

According to recent market studies of the North American company Allied Market Research, the field of photonic sensors is an emerging strategic field for the following years and it is expected to garner $18 billion by 2021. The integration of micro and nanofabrication technologies in the field of sensors has allowed the development of new technological concepts such as lab-on-a-chip, which have achieved extraordinary advances in terms of detection and applicability, for example in the field of biosensors. This continuous development has allowed that equipment consisting of many complex devices that occupied a whole room a few years ago, at present it is possible to handle them in the palm of the hand; that formerly long duration processes are carried out in a matter of milliseconds and that a technology previously dedicated solely to military or scientific uses is available to the vast majority of consumers. The adequate combination of micro and nanostructured coatings with optical fiber sensors has permitted us to develop novel sensing technologies, such as the first experimental demonstration of lossy mode resonances (LMRs) for sensing applications, with more than one hundred citations and related publications in high rank journals and top conferences. In fact, fiber optic LMR-based devices have been proven as devices with one of the highest sensitivity for refractometric applications. Refractive index sensitivity is an indirect and simple indicator of how sensitive the device is to chemical and biological species, topic where this proposal is focused. Consequently, the utilization of these devices for chemical and biosensing applications is a clear opportunity that could open novel and interesting research lines and applications as well as simplify current analytical methodologies. As a result, on the basis of our previous experience with LMR based sensors to attain very high sensitivities, the objective of this paper is presenting the route for the development of label-free optical waveguide sensing platform based on LMRs that enable to explore the limits of this technology for bio-chemosensing applications

Fiber Optic Sensing with Lossy Mode Resonances: Applications and Perspectives

This review focuses on the recent advances in lossy more resonance (LMR) fiber optic sensors. LMR sensors present many interesting features also in comparison with surface plasmon resonance (SPR), the most widespread resonance-based sensing platform. Two key parameters determine the performance of LMR sensors: geometrical configuration and material supporting the LMR. After reviewing those aspects and some fundamentals of the theory, the review focuses on the sensing mechanisms, mainly based on refractometry, and their possible applications. Many examples from the literature are reported ranging from electric field to pressure sensors and from gas detection to biosensors. Such vibrant activity on LMR sensors confirms the potentiality of this technology making it a very promising platform for sensor development

A comprehensive review: materials for the fabrication of optical fiber refractometers based on lossy mode resonance

Lossy mode resonance based sensors have been extensively studied in recent years. The versatility of the lossy mode resonance phenomenon has led to the development of sensors based on different configurations that make use of a wide range of materials. The coating material is one of the key elements in the performance of a refractometer. This review paper intends to provide a global view of the wide range of coating materials available for the development of lossy mode resonance based refractometers.This research was funded by the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) (TEC2016-78047-R), the Public University of Navarra (PJUPNA26), and the Spanish Ministry of Universities (FPU15/05663)

Gas sensor based on lossy mode resonances by means of thin graphene oxide films fabricated onto planar coverslips

The use of planar waveguides has recently shown great success in the field of optical sensors based on the Lossy Mode Resonance (LMR) phenomenon. The properties of Graphene Oxide (GO) have been widely exploited in various sectors of science and technology, with promising results for gas sensing applications. This work combines both, the LMR-based sensing technology on planar waveguides and the use of a GO thin film as a sensitive coating, to monitor ethanol, water, and acetone. Experimental results on the fabrication and performance of the sensor are presented. The obtained results showed a sensitivity of 3.1, 2.0, and 0.6 pm/ppm for ethanol, water, and acetone respectively, with a linearity factor R2 > 0.95 in all cases

Glass and Glass–Ceramic Photonic Materials for Sensors

Recent developments in sensors are pushing for optimized materials that can increase their usage, bolster their sensitivity and enable new and more efficient transduction mechanisms. We hereby review some of the most relevant applications of glasses and glass-ceramics for photonic sensors considering the recent trends and innovative approaches. This review covers from bulk glasses to thin films and from fiber optics to nanocrystal-based and their applications in sensing