Performance improvement in Mach–Zehnder interferometer-based refractive index sensor using elliptical photonic nanowires

Autor:	Amine Ben Salem, Rim Cherif, Mourad Zghal
Rok vydání:	2014
Předmět:	Interferometry Wavelength Materials science Optics Fiber optic sensor business.industry Nanowire Photonics Polarization (waves) Mach–Zehnder interferometer business Refractive index Atomic and Molecular Physics and Optics
Zdroj:	Journal of Modern Optics. 61:263-269
ISSN:	1362-3044 0950-0340
Popis:	We propose a modified Mach–Zehnder interferometer design based on elliptical silica photonic nanowires. The use of the interferometer as an evanescent field-based refractive index (RI) sensor was numerically investigated. Single-mode operation, maintaining polarization and very high sensitivity, is achieved at short optical wavelengths by simply using elliptical nanowires. The proposed sensor is capable of determining the RI of benzene solutions with different concentrations in water and detecting a RI variation of the order of 10−6 RI units in only a 1-mm length sensitive area. Extremely high sensitivity of 4.63 rad/μm is achieved using an 800 nm elliptical silica nanowire diameter. The operating wavelengths (λ = 650 nm and 970 nm) were chosen to avoid high water absorption. The sensor is shown to be an alternative solution to small circular-nanowire-based sensor whose core size needs to be significantly reduced below 400 nm to achieve comparable performance.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::de6278820f0c1b15a83ceb3fce574a11 https://doi.org/10.1080/09500340.2014.880523 Zobrazit plný text záznamu