Femtosecond Laser Microprinting of a Polymer Optical Fiber Interferometer for High-Sensitivity Temperature Measurement.

Chi Li,Jia Wang,Yiping Wang,Changrui Liao,Zongsong Gan

doi:10.3390/polym10111192

Abstract

Femtosecond laser induced multi-photon polymerization technique can be applied to fabricate an ultracompact polymer optical fiber interferometer which was embedded in a section of hollow core fiber. The production of the photoresin, used in this work, is described. Such a device has been used for temperature measurement, due to its excellent thermal properties. Transmission spectrum, structural morphology, and temperature response of the polymer optical fiber interferometer are experimentally investigated. A high wavelength sensitivity of 6.5 nm/°C is achieved over a temperature range from 25 °C to 30 °C. The proposed polymer optical fiber interferometer exhibits high temperature sensitivity, excellent mechanical strength, and ultra-high integration. More complex fiber-integrated polymer function micro/nano structures produced by this technique may result in more applications in optical fiber communication and optical fiber sensors.

Highlights

Multiphoton polymerization (MPP), induced by femtosecond (Fs) laser, is a novel 3D microprinting technology
Fiber interferometer, which has advantageous of excellent strain, temperature sensitivity, and compact structure, is another reliable fiber sensor configuration, compared to fiber Bragg grating (FBG) [8,9]
Traditional silica fiber interferometers are limited by its low thermal expansion coefficient (~5.5 × 10−7 /◦ C) and cannot achieve high temperature sensitivity [10,11]

Summary

Introduction

Multiphoton polymerization (MPP), induced by femtosecond (Fs) laser, is a novel 3D microprinting technology. With highly transparent photoresists, enables 3D microprinting to enter the realm of manufacturing optical elements at the micro/nanometre scale [1,2,3,4]. This precise fabrication of complex optical elements on demand becomes possible, such as microfluidic devices, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and metamaterials [5,6,7]. Traditional silica fiber interferometers are limited by its low thermal expansion coefficient (~5.5 × 10−7 /◦ C) and cannot achieve high temperature sensitivity (typically ~10 pm/◦ C for silica fibers) [10,11]

Methods

Results

Conclusion