Modeling of subwavelength-diameter optical wire waveguides for optical sensing applications

Limin Tong; Jingyi Lou; Eric Mazur

doi:10.1117/12.575626

14 February 2005 Modeling of subwavelength-diameter optical wire waveguides for optical sensing applications

Limin Tong, Jingyi Lou, Eric Mazur

Proceedings Volume 5634, Advanced Sensor Systems and Applications II; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.575626
Event: Photonics Asia, 2004, Beijing, China

Abstract

Low-loss optical wave guiding along a subwavelength-diameter silica wire leaves a large amount of the guided field outside the solid core as evanescent wave and at the same time maintains the coherence of the light, making it possible to develop sensitive and miniaturized optical sensors for physical, chemical and biological applications. Here we introduce, for the first time to our knowledge, a scheme to develop optical sensors based on evanescent-wave-guiding properties of subwavelength-diameter wires. Optical wave guiding properties of these wires that are pertinent to a waveguide sensor, such as single-mode condition, evanescent field, Poynting vector and optical loss are investigated. By measuring the phase shift of the guided light, we propose a Mach-Zehnder-type sensor assembled with two silica wires. The sensitivity and size of the sensor are also estimated, which shows that, subwavelength-diameter silica wires are promising for developing optical sensors with high sensitivity and small size.

Citation Download Citation

Limin Tong, Jingyi Lou, and Eric Mazur "Modeling of subwavelength-diameter optical wire waveguides for optical sensing applications", Proc. SPIE 5634, Advanced Sensor Systems and Applications II, (14 February 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.575626

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