Temperature-insensitive high sensitivity refractive index sensor based on tapered no core fiber

Abstract

Abstract This study fabricated an ultra-high refractive index (RI) sensor based on tapered no-core fiber (NCF) involving a simple inexpensive process. A splice section of NCF in the middle of single mode fiber was tapered to small diameters. The sensor was sensitive to the surrounding RI with a large measurement range of 1.3330–1.4437. The RI sensitivity differed with varying wavelengths, with a value of 41 916 nm/RIU at approximately 1550 nm, for the RI ranges of 1.4407–1.4437. It yielded a low temperature sensitivity of 8 pm °C−1, which indicates an ultra-low temperature cross-sensitivity. The proposed fiber optic RI sensor can be used in many fields such as medicine and biochemical applications.