Zinc oxide coated optical fiber long period gratings for sensing of volatile organic compounds

Abstract

The detection of volatile organic compounds is accomplished with a sensing device based on a long period fiber grating (LPFG) coated with a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin layer with self-temperature compensation. The ZnO coating structure was produced onto the cladding of the fiber by thermal oxidation of a metallic Zn thin film. The morphological characterization of ZnO thin films, grown at the same time on silicon substrates, was performed using X-ray diffraction, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope which shows very good agreement. LPFGs with 290 nm thick ZnO coating were fabricated and characterized for the detection of ethanol and hexane in vapor phase. For ethanol a sensitivity of 0.99 nm / g.m(-3) was achieved when using the wavelength shift interrogation mode, while for hexane a much lower sensitivity of 0.003 nm / g.m(-3) was measured, indicating a semi-selectivity of the sensor with a spectral resolution better than 3.2 g.m(-3).