Applied light-side coupling with optimized spiral-patterned zinc oxide nanorod coatings for multiple optical channel alcohol vapor sensing

作者：Rahim Hazli Rafis Bin Abdul; Bin Lokman Muhammad Quisar; Harun Sulaiman Wadi; Hornyak Gabor Louis; Sterckx Karel; Mohammed Waleed Soliman^*; Dutta Joydeep

来源：Journal of Nanophotonics, 2016, 10(3): 036009.

DOI：10.1117/1.JNP.10.036009

• zinc oxide
• spiral pattern
• visible-light wavelength
• optical fiber
• light-side coupling
• nanorods

The width of spiral-patterned zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod coatings on plastic optical fiber (POF) was optimized theoretically for light-side coupling and found to be 5 mm. Structured ZnO nanorods were grown on large core POFs for the purpose of alcohol vapor sensing. The aim of the spiral patterns was to enhance signal transmission by reduction of the effective ZnO growth area, thereby minimizing light leakage due to backscattering. The sensing mechanism utilized changes in the output signal due to adsorption of methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol vapors. Three spectral bands consisting of red (620 to 750 nm), green (495 to 570 nm), and blue (450 to 495 nm) were applied in measurements. The range of relative intensity modulation (RIM) was determined to be for concentrations between 25 to 300 ppm. Methanol presented the strongest response compared to ethanol and isopropanol in all three spectral channels. With regard to alcohol detection RIM by spectral band, the green channel demonstrated the highest RIM values followed by the blue and red channels, respectively.

• 出版日期2016-7