Ghafour Amouzad Mahdiraji

Photonic Crystal Fiber-Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor with Selective Analyte Channels and Graphene-Silver Deposited Core

We propose a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with selectively filled analyte channels. Silver is used as the plasmonic material to accurately detect the analytes and is coated with a thin graphene layer to prevent oxidation. The liquid-filled cores are placed near to the metallic channel for easy excitation of free electrons to produce surface plasmon waves (SPWs). Surface plasmons along the metal surface are excited with a leaky Gaussian-like core guided mode. Numerical investigations of the fiber’s properties and sensing performance are performed using the finite element method (FEM). The proposed sensor shows maximum amplitude sensitivity of 418 Refractive Index Units (RIU−1) with resolution as high as 2.4 × 10−5 RIU. Using the wavelength interrogation method, a maximum refractive index (RI) sensitivity of 3000 nm/RIU in the sensing range of 1.46–1.49 is achieved. The proposed sensor is suitable for detecting various high RI chemicals, biochemical and organic chemical analytes. Additionally, the effects of fiber structural parameters on the properties of plasmonic excitation are investigated and optimized for sensing performance as well as reducing the sensor’s footprint.

Surface Plasmon Resonance Photonic Crystal Fiber Biosensor: A Practical Sensing Approach

We propose a simple, two rings, hexagonal lattice photonic crystal fiber biosensor using surface plasmon resonance phenomenon. An active plasmonic gold layer and the analyte (sample) are placed outside the fiber structure instead of inside the air-holes, which will result in a simpler and straight forward fabrication process. The proposed sensor exhibits birefringent behavior that enhances its sensitivity. Numerical investigation of the guiding properties and sensing performance are conducted by finite element method. Using wavelength and amplitude interrogation methods, the proposed sensor could provide maximum sensitivity of 4000 nm/RIU and 320 RIU-1, respectively. The resolutions of the sensor are 2.5 × 10-5 and 3.125 × 10-5 RIU for wavelength and amplitude interrogation modes. The proposed sensor design shows promising results that could be used in biological and biochemical analytes detection.

Highly sensitive multi-core flat fiber surface plasmon resonance refractive index sensor

A simple multi-core flat fiber (MCFF) based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor operating in telecommunication wavelengths is proposed for refractive index sensing. Chemically stable gold (Au) and titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) layers are used outside the fiber structure to realize a simple detection mechanism. The modeled sensor shows average wavelength interrogation sensitivity of 9,600 nm/RIU (Refractive Index Unit) and maximum sensitivity of 23,000 nm/RIU in the sensing range of 1.46-1.485 and 1.47-1.475, respectively. Moreover, the refractive index resolution of 4.35 × 10(-6) is demonstrated. Additionally, proposed sensor had shown the maximum amplitude interrogation sensitivity of 820 RIU(-1), with the sensor resolution of 1.22 × 10(-5) RIU. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed sensor achieved the highest wavelength interrogation sensitivity among the reported fiber based SPR sensors. Finally we anticipate that, this novel and highly sensitive MCFF SPR sensor will find the potential applications in real time remote sensing and monitoring, ultimately enabling inexpensive and accurate chemical and biochemical analytes detection.

Hyperspectral discrimination of tree species with different classifications using single- and multiple-endmember

Discrimination of tree species with different ages is performed in three classifications using hyperspectral data. The first classification is between Broadleaves and pines; the second classification is between Broadleaves, Corsican Pines, and Scots Pines, and the third classification is between six tree species including different ages of Corsican and Scots Pines. These three classifications are performed by having single- and multiple-endmember and considering five different spectral measure techniques (SMTs) in combination with reflectance spectra (ReflS), first and second derivative spectra. The result shows that using single-endmember, derivative spectra are not useful for a more challenging classification. This is further emphasized in multiple-endmember classification, where all SMTs perform better in ReflS rather than derivative in all classifications. Furthermore, using derivative spectra, discrimination accuracy become more dependent on the type of SMTs, especially in single-endmember. By employing multiple-endmember, the within-species variation is significantly reduced, thereby, the remaining challenge in discriminating tree species with different ages is only due to the between-species similarity. Overall, discrimination accuracies around 92.4, 76.8, and 71.5% are obtained using original reflectance and multiple-endmember for the first, second, and third classification, which is around 14.3, 17, and 8.3% higher than what were obtained in single-endmember classifications, respectively. Also, amongst the five SMTs, Euclidean distance (in both single- and multiple-endmember) and Jeffreys–Matusita distance (in single-endmember and derivative spectra) provided the highest discrimination accuracies in different classifications. Furthermore, when discrimination become more challenging from the first to second and third classification, the performance difference between different SMTs is increased from 1.4 to 3.8 and 7.3%, respectively. The study shows high potential of multiple-endmember to be employed in remote sensing applications in the future for improving tree species discrimination accuracy.

Duty-cycle division multiplexing (DCDM)

A multiplexing technique, which is based on duty-cycle division, is proposed. The channel multiplexing and demultiplexing are performed electrically at the single user bit rate, which is very economic. In a three-user system (3×10 Gb/s), the simulation results show that the best receiver sensitivity value achieved is −30.1 dBm with an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) of 22.3 dB, while the chromatic dispersion tolerance ranges from 192 to 280 ps/nm. Migration from 30 to 120 Gb/s is achieved with the penalty of 6.4 and 5.2 dB in the receiver sensitivity and OSNR, respectively, for the worst user.

Thermoluminescence characteristics of flat optical fiber in radiation dosimetry under different electron irradiation conditions

Thermoluminescence (TL) flat optical fibers (FF) have been proposed as radiation sensor in medical dosimetry for both diagnostic and radiotherapy applications. A flat optical fiber with nominal dimensions of (3.226 × 3.417 × 0.980) mm3 contains pure silica SiO2 was selected for this research. The FF was annealed at 400°C for 1 h before irradiated. Kinetic parameters and dosimetric glow curve of TL response were studied in FF with respect to electron irradiation of 6 MeV, 15 MeV and 21 MeV using linear accelerator (LINAC) in the dose range of 2.0-10.0 Gy. The TL response was read using a TLD reader Harshaw Model 3500. The Time-Temperature-Profile (TTP) of the reader used includes; initial preheat temperature of 80°C, maximum readout temperature is 400°C and the heating rate of 30°Cs-1. The proposed FF shows excellent linear radiation response behavior within the clinical relevant dose range for all of these energies, good reproducibility, independence of radiation energy, independence of dose rate and exhibits a very low thermal fading. From these results, the proposed FF can be used as radiation dosimeter and favorably compares with the widely used of LiF:MgTi dosimeter in medical radiotherapy application.

A new duty cycle based digital multiplexing technique

A new multiplexing technique which is called duty cycle division multiplexing (DCDM) is presented in this paper. Theoretical and simulation studies have been carried out to evaluate the performance of this technique based on the signal energy and symbol error rate (SER). A wireless channel based on free space propagation model is considered for the simulation study. Two modulation schemes of PSK and QAM are used to evaluate the technique, against the data rates. Also, the performance of the multiplexing technique is compared with the conventional Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) technique as well as with the multilevel M-ary signaling. The study shows that the energy per bit in the DCDM technique, unlike that of the TDM technique increases with the number of users. The simulation results correspond with the theoretical study in which the DCDM technique has better SER than that of TDM.

Sensitive Fibre-Based Thermoluminescence Detectors for High Resolution In-Vivo Dosimetry.

With interest in the potential of optical fibres as the basis of next-generation thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), the development of suitable forms of material and their fabrication has become a fast-growing endeavour. Present study focuses on three types of Ge-doped optical fibres with different structural arrangements and/or shapes, namely conventional cylindrical fibre, capillary fibre, and flat fibre, all fabricated using the same optical fibre preform. For doses from 0.5 to 8 Gy, obtained at electron and photon energies, standard thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of the optical fibres have been the subject of detailed investigation. The results show that in collapsing the capillary fibre into a flat shape, the TL yield is increased by a factor of 5.5, the yield being also some 3.2 times greater than that of the conventional cylindrical fibre fabricated from the same perform. This suggests a means of production of suitably sensitive TLD for in-vivo dosimeter applications. Addressing the associated defects generating luminescence from each of the optical fibres, the study encompasses analysis of the TL glow curves, with computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) and 2nd order kinetics.

Relative Intensity Noise Reduction by Optimizing Fiber Grating Fabry–Perot Laser Parameters

A set of nonlinear rate equations that can describe an external cavity laser with any arbitrary external optical feedback (OFB) level are derived. A comprehensive study on the relative intensity noise (RIN) characteristics of a fiber grating Fabry-Perot is performed numerically. In this paper, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is used as a wavelength lasing selective element to control the external OFB level, thereby control the RIN. In addition to the external OFB level, the effect of other external cavity parameters such as temperature, injection current, cavity volume, gain compression factor, and FBG parameters on RIN characteristics is investigated. The temperature dependence (TD) of RIN is calculated according to TD of laser parameters instead of well-known Parkove relationship. Results show that by optimization, the peak value of the RIN can be reduced down to around -150 dB/Hz. The optimum and the shortest external cavity length that provides the minimum RIN is found to be around 3.1 cm. In addition, by optimization, the relaxation oscillation frequency of RIN spectra is shifted toward around 5.6 GHz.

Characterization of phase noise in a single-mode fiber grating Fabry–Perot laser

A comprehensive study on the phase noise characteristics of a single-mode fiber grating Fabry–Perot (FGFP) laser was conducted numerically. Adding to previous studies, the effects of external optical feedback (OFB), external cavity length, temperature, injection current, cavity volume, nonlinear gain compression factor and fiber grating parameters on phase noise characteristics are presented. The temperature dependence (TD) of phase noise was calculated according to the TD of laser parameters and not by the well-known Parkove equation. The frequency spectra of FGFP laser phase noise were calculated by using a Fourier transform. Results show that the TD of the phase noise in FGFP lasers is smaller than that for distributed feedback lasers. The shortest external cavity length that provides the minimum phase noise is found to be around 3.1 cm. In addition, the relaxation oscillation frequency shifts towards more than 6 GHz, which provides larger flat frequency range. Furthermore, phase noise can be eliminated either by increasing the injection current or the OFB level.