Open Access
Design rules for lossy mode resonance based sensors
(Optical Society of America, 2012) Del Villar, Ignacio; Hernáez Sáenz de Zaitigui, Miguel; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Sánchez Zábal, Pedro; Fernández Valdivielso, Carlos; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Lossy mode resonances can be obtained in the transmission spectrum of cladding removed multimode optical fiber coated with a thin-film. The sensitivity of these devices to changes in the properties of the coating or the surrounding medium can be optimized by means of the adequate parameterization of the coating refractive index, the coating thickness and the surrounding medium refractive index (SMRI). Some basic rules of design, which enable the selection of the best parameters for each specific sensing application, are indicated in this work.
Open Access
Route towards a label-free optical waveguide sensing platform based on lossy mode resonances
(IFSA Publishing, 2019) Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Zubiate Orzanco, Pablo; Ozcariz Celaya, Aritz; Elosúa Aguado, César; Socorro Leránoz, Abián Bentor; Urrutia Azcona, Aitor; López Torres, Diego; Acha Morrás, Nerea de; Ascorbe Muruzabal, Joaquín; Vitoria Pascual, Ignacio; Imas González, José Javier; Corres Sanz, Jesús María; Díaz Lucas, Silvia; Hernáez Sáenz de Zaitigui, Miguel; Goicoechea Fernández, Javier; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Del Villar, Ignacio; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua,0011-1365-2017- 000117; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, PJUPNA26
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.
Open Access
Fabrication of Bragg gratings on the end facet of standard optical fibers by sputtering the same material
(IEEE, 2016) Ascorbe Muruzabal, Joaquín; Corres Sanz, Jesús María; Del Villar, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
A sputtering process has been applied to deposit quarter-wavelength stacks on the end facet of cleaved optical fibers by using only one sputtering target. Standard multimode optical fibers were used as substrates to fabricate broadband filters, and the experimentally measured spectral responses of these devices are shown. Periodical changes in the refractive index of the coating have been achieved by changing the vacuum chamber pressure. A reflected peak with a full-width at half-maximum of 20 nm centered at 440 nm has been obtained, which provides a good structure for the development of optical fiber sensors working with the wavelength detection technique. This optical structure can be used for several purposes: as tunable wavelength filters or optical fiber sensors or to improve the performance of fluorescence sensors. A theoretical analysis of these structures corroborates the experimental results and allows some rules to be obtained.
Open Access
SnO2 based optical fiber refractometers
(SPIE, 2012) Sánchez Zábal, Pedro; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Hernáez Sáenz de Zaitigui, Miguel; Del Villar, Ignacio; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
In this work, the fabrication and characterization of refractometers based on lossy mode resonances (LMR) is presented. Tin dioxide (SnO2) films deposited on optical fibers are used as the LMR supporting coatings. These resonances shift to the red as a function of the external refractive index, enabling the fabrication of robust and highly reproducible wavelength-based optical fiber refractometers. The obtained SnO2-based refractometer shows an average sensitivity of 7198 nm/refractive index unit (RIU) in the range 1.333-1.420 RIU.
Open Access
Strategies for fabrication of hydrogen peroxide sensors based on electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) method
(Elsevier, 2004) Del Villar, Ignacio; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Echeverría Morrás, Jesús; Claus, Richard O.; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
An optical fiber sensor has been fabricated for detection of 5 M–0.1mM concentrations of hydrogen peroxide with a linear response. The deposition method used is electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) of polymer cationic and anionic layers. Prussian Blue (PB) has been included in the polycation layers. The optical fiber sensor is included in a reflection setup, where the measuring technique is based on the slope of the optical reflected power change caused by oxidation of Prussian White (PW) to Prussian Blue. The sensor recovers after immersion in a reductive agent and is immune against a variety of components. Measurement of hydrogen peroxide has been proved successfully in a wide range pHs between 3 and 9. Some techniques have been applied in order to avoid the lost of indicator.
Open Access
Sensitivity enhancement experimental demonstration using a low cutoff wavelength SMS modified structure coated with a pH sensitive film
(Elsevier, 2018) Rodríguez Rodríguez, Wenceslao Eduardo; Del Villar, Ignacio; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Rodríguez Rodríguez, Adolfo Josué; Domínguez Cruz, René; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The multimode interference (MMI) effect in a single mode-multimode-single mode (SMS) can be used fordevelopment of wavelength shift detection based sensors. In this work, the focus is centered on obtainingwavelength shifts with low cutoff single mode fibers, which allows exploring the wavelength range from600 to 1000 nm, where optical sources and detectors are less expensive than at longer wavelengths. Inaddition, the application of a reduction in the fiber diameter of the SMS structure by means of HF etching,combined with the deposition of a thin-film, enables to enhance the sensitivity of the devices at thesame time the objective mentioned before is achieved. In this sense, the effect of the deposition of a pHsensitive thin-film on SMS structures with different diameters allowed attaining a maximum sensitivityof 15 nm per pH unit in the range from pH 4 to pH 6, which improves by a factor of 3 the sensitivity ofSMS sensors without etching operating at longer wavelengths.
Open Access
D-shape optical fiber pH sensor based on lossy mode resonances (LMRs)
(IEEE, 2016-01-07) Zubiate Orzanco, Pablo; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Del Villar, Ignacio; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza
The fabrication and characterization of an optical fiber pH sensor based on Lossy Mode Resonances (LMRs) is presented. PAH/PAA polymeric thin-films fabricated onto side-polished D-shaped optical fibers are used as LMR supporting coatings. The thickness of PAH/PAA coatings can be modified as a function of the external medium pH. As a consequence of this variation, the effective refractive index of the structure will change, producing a shift of the LMR. The fabricated sensor has been used to measure pH from 4.0 to 5.0. This pH sensor showed a sensitivity of 101.3 nm per pH unit, which means a resolution of ~6×10-4 pH units by using a conventional communications Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA), which is an improvement over commercial pH sensors.
Open Access
Giant sensitivity of optical fiber sensors by means of lossy moderesonance
(Elsevier, 2016) Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Del Villar, Ignacio; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Zubiate Orzanco, Pablo; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
Here we show an optical refractometer with a giant sensitivity of 304,360 nm per refractive index unit(nm/RIU). This sensitivity corresponds to a resolution of 3.28 × 10−9RIU if a standard optical spectrumanalyzer with a resolution of 1 pm is used. This record sensitivity is obtained by means of a lossy moderesonance (LMR) optical fiber sensor in a surrounding media with refractive index around 1.45. Thisachievement implies that the utilization of the LMR phenomenon opens the door to devices and systemsthat can beat, in terms of sensitivity, those used currently in real-time biomolecular analysis such assurface plasmon resonance (SPR) devices.
Open Access
Deposition of coatings on long-period fiber gratings: tunnel effect analogy
(Springer, 2006) Del Villar, Ignacio; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The sensitivity of Long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs), coated with high-refractive-index thin film overlays, to the refractive index and the thickness of the overlay, and to the ambient refractive index, can be enhanced with a design based on a two-overlay coating of an LPFG. The first overlay of lower refractive index than the cladding affects the guidance of a cladding mode in the second overlay of higher refractive index than the cladding. This causes a more abrupt cladding modal redistribution than with the deposition of a unique high-refractive-index overlay. The phenomenon is analyzed with a method based on a vectorial analysis of modes and the application of coupled mode theory.
Open Access
Sensors based on thin-film coated cladding removed multimode optical fiber and single-mode multimode single-mode fiber: a comparative study
(Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2015) Del Villar, Ignacio; Socorro Leránoz, Abián Bentor; Hernáez Sáenz de Zaitigui, Miguel; Corres Sanz, Jesús María; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Sánchez Zábal, Pedro; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
Two simple optical fibre structures that do not require the inscription of a grating, a cladding removed multimode optical fibre (CRMOF) and a single-mode multimode single-mode structure (SMS), are compared in terms of their adequateness for sensing once they are coated with thin-films.The thin-film deposited (TiO2/PSS) permits increasing the sensitivity to surrounding medium refractive index. The results obtained can be extrapolated to other fields such as biological or chemical sensing just by replacing the thin-film by a specific material.