Roman Kostecki

Silica exposed-core microstructured optical fibers

We report the fabrication of silica microstructured optical fibers with the core exposed along the whole length, and characterize the stability of these new fibers when exposed to some typical sensing and storage environments. We show the fiber loss to be the best achieved to date for exposed-core fibers, while the deterioration in the transmission properties is up to ∼2 orders of magnitude better than for the previously reported exposed-core fibers produced in soft glass. This opens up new opportunities for optical fiber sensors requiring long term and/or harsh environmental applications while providing real time analysis anywhere along the fibers length.

Predicting the drawing conditions for Microstructured Optical Fiber fabrication

The efficient and accurate fabrication of Microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) requires a practical understanding of the ‘draw process’ beyond what is achievable by trial and error, which requires the ability to predict the experimental drawing parameters needed to produce the desired final geometry. Our results show that the Fitt et al. fluid-mechanics model for describing the draw process of a single axisymmetric capillary fiber provides practical insights when applied to more complex multi-hole symmetric and asymmetric MOF geometries. By establishing a method to relate the multi-hole MOF geometry to a capillary and understanding how material temperature varies with the draw tower temperature profile, it was found that analytical equations given by the Fitt model could be used to predict the parameters necessary for the chosen structure. We show how this model provides a practical framework that contributes to the efficient and accurate fabrication of the desired MOF geometries by predicting suitable fiber draw conditions.

Nanoliter-scale, regenerable ion sensor: sensing with a surface functionalized microstructured optical fibre

The first nanoliter-scale regenerable ion sensor based on a microstructured optical fibre (MOF) is reported. The air holes of the MOF are functionalized with a monoazacrown bearing spiropyran to give a switchable sensor that detects lithium ions down to 100 nM in nanoliter-scale volumes. Ion binding is turned on and off on upon irradiation with light, with the sensor being unaffected by multiple rounds of photoswitching. Unbound ions are flushed from the fibre in the ‘off’ state to allow the sensor to be reused. The integration of an ionophore into the sensor paves the way for the development of highly specific light-based sensing platforms that are readily adaptable to sense a particular ion simply by altering the ionophore design.

Fabrication, splicing, Bragg grating writing, and polyelectrolyte functionalization of exposed-core microstructured optical fibers.

Femtosecond laser written Bragg gratings have been written in exposed-core microstructured optical fibers with core diameters ranging from 2.7 µm to 12.5 µm and can be spliced to conventional single mode fiber. Writing a Bragg grating on an open core fiber allows for real-time refractive index based sensing, with a view to multiplexed biosensing. Smaller core fibers are shown both experimentally and theoretically to provide a higher sensitivity. A 7.5 µm core diameter fiber is shown to provide a good compromise between sensitivity and practicality and was used for monitoring the deposition of polyelectrolyte layers, an important first step in developing a biosensor.

Microstructured Optical Fiber-based Biosensors: Reversible and Nanoliter-Scale Measurement of Zinc Ions

Sensing platforms that allow rapid and efficient detection of metal ions would have applications in disease diagnosis and study, as well as environmental sensing. Here, we report the first microstructured optical fiber-based biosensor for the reversible and nanoliter-scale measurement of metal ions. Specifically, a photoswitchable spiropyran Zn(2+) sensor is incorporated within the microenvironment of a liposome attached to microstructured optical fibers (exposed-core and suspended-core microstructured optical fibers). Both fiber-based platforms retains high selectivity of ion binding associated with a small molecule sensor, while also allowing nanoliter volume sampling and on/off switching. We have demonstrated that multiple measurements can be made on a single sample without the need to change the sensor. The ability of the new sensing platform to sense Zn(2+) in pleural lavage and nasopharynx of mice was compared to that of established ion sensing methodologies such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and a commercially available fluorophore (Fluozin-3), where the optical-fiber-based sensor provides a significant advantage in that it allows the use of nanoliter (nL) sampling when compared to ICP-MS (mL) and FluoZin-3 (μL). This work paves the way to a generic approach for developing surface-based ion sensors using a range of sensor molecules, which can be attached to a surface without the need for its chemical modification and presents an opportunity for the development of new and highly specific ion sensors for real time sensing applications.

Exposed core microstructured optical fiber surface plasmon resonance biosensor

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) scattering offers significant advantages compared to traditional reflectivity measure- ments, essentially turning a non-radiative process into a radiative one. Recently, we have shown that SPR scattering can be used in an optical fiber, enabling higher signal to noise ratio, reduced dependence on the metallic thickness as well as the unique capability of multiplexed detection with a single fiber. Here we report a novel SPR scattering based sensor fabricated based on an exposed-core silica Microstructured Optical Fiber (MOF). This MOF presents a structure with a relatively small core (Ø = 10µm), exposed along the whole fiber length. This exposed core MOF allows for fabrication of SPR supporting metallic thin films directly onto the fiber core offering the new prospect of exploiting SPR in a waveguide structure that supports only a relatively small number of guided optical modes, with a structure that offers ease of fabri- cation and handling. A thin silver film of 50 nm thickness was deposited onto the fiber core by thermal evaporation. The significant surface roughness of the prepared metallic coatings facilitates strong scattering of the light wave coupled into the surface plasmon. Performance characteristics of the new exposed core fiber sensor were compared to those of a large bare core silica fiber (Ø = 140µm). Although sensitivity of both sensors was comparable (around 2500nm/RIU ), full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the SPR peaks for the new exposed core fiber sensor decreased by a factor of 3 offering an significant enhancement in the detection limit of the new sensing platform in addition to the prospect of a sensor with a lower detection volume.

Novel polymer functionalization method for exposed-core optical fiber

We report on a one step functionalization process for optical fiber sensing applications in which a thin film (∼50 nm) polymer doped with sensor molecules is applied to a silica exposed-core fiber. The method removes the need for surface attachment of functional groups, while integrating the polymer, silica and sensor molecule elements to create a distributed sensor capable of detecting an analyte of interest anywhere along the fiber’s length. We also show that the thin film coating serves a protective function, reducing deterioration in the transmission properties of the silica exposed-core fiber, but increasing loss.

Third harmonic generation in exposed-core microstructured optical fibers.

Inter-modal phase-matched third harmonic generation has been demonstrated in an exposed-core microstructured optical fiber. Our fiber, with a partially open core having a diameter of just 1.85 µm, shows efficient multi-peak third-harmonic generation between 500 nm and 530 nm, with a maximum visible-wavelength output of 0.96 μW. Mode images and simulations show strong agreement, confirming the phase-matching process and polarization dependence. We anticipate this work will lead to tailorable and tunable visible light sources by exploiting the open access to the optical fiber core, such as depositing thin-film coatings in order to shift the phase matching conditions.

Optical Fibres for Distributed Corrosion Sensing - Architecture and Characterisation

This paper summarises recent work conducted on the development of exposed core microstructured optical fibres for distributed corrosion sensing. Most recently, exposed-core fibres have been fabricated in silica glass, which is known to be reliable under a range of processing and service environments. We characterise the stability of these new silica fibres when exposed to some typical sensing and storage environments. We show the background loss to be the best achieved to date for exposed-core fibres, while the transmission properties are up to ~2 orders of magnitude better than for the previously reported exposed-core fibres produced in soft glass. This provides a more robust fibre platform for corrosion sensing conditions and opens up new opportunities for distributed optical fibre sensors requiring long-term application in harsh environments.

Fiber optic approach for detecting corrosion

Corrosion is a multi-billion dollar problem faced by industry. The ability to monitor the hidden metallic structure of an aircraft for corrosion could result in greater availability of existing aircraft fleets. Silica exposed-core microstructured optical fiber sensors are inherently suited towards this application, as they are extremely lightweight, robust, and suitable both for distributed measurements and for embedding in otherwise inaccessible corrosion-prone areas. By functionalizing the fiber with chemosensors sensitive to corrosion by-products, we demonstrate in-situ kinetic measurements of accelerated corrosion in simulated aluminum aircraft joints.