High sensitivity SMS fiber structure based refractometer - analysis and experiment

We have investigated the influence of multimode fiber core (MMFC) diameters and lengths on the sensitivity of an SMS fiber based refractometer. We show that the MMFC diameter has significant influence on the refractive index (RI) sensitivity but the length does not. A refractometer with a lower MMFC diameter has a higher sensitivity. Experimental investigations achieved a maximum sensitivity of 1815 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) for a refractive index range from 1.342 to 1.437 for a refractometer with a core diameter of 80 mu m. The experimental results fit well with the numerical simulation results. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America