DOI: 10.1002/adom.201801433 Scientific American selects plasmonic sensing as the top 10 emerging technologies of 2018.[15] Almost every single new plasmonic or photonic structure would be explored to test its sensing ability.[16–29] These works tend to report the sensing performance of their own structure. Some declare that their sensitivity breaks the world record. However, there is still a missing literature on what the world record really is, the gap between the experiments and the theoretical limit, as well as the differences between metal-based plasmonic sensors and dielectric-based photonic sensors. To push plasmonic and photonic sensors into industrial applications, an optical sensing technology map is absolutely necessary. This review aims to cover a wide range of most representative plasmonic and photonic sensors, and place them into a single map. The sensor performances of different structures will be distinctly illustrated. Future researchers could plot the sensing ability of their new sensors into this technology map and gauge their performances in this field. In this review, we focus on optical refractive index (RI) sensors with no fluorescent labeling required. We will utilize two parameters to characterize and compare the performance of optical RI sensors: sensitivity to RI change (denoted by symbol SRI) and figure of merit (in short, FoM). For simplicity, we restrict our discussions to bulk RI change, where the change in RI occurs within the whole sample. There is another case where the RI variation occurs only within a very small volume close to the sensor surface. This surface RI sensitivity is proportional to the bulk RI sensitivity, the ratio of the thickness of the layer within which the surface RI variation occurs, and the penetration depth of the optical mode.[6] The bulk RI sensitivity defines the ratio of the change in sensor output (e.g., resonance angle, intensity, or resonant wavelength) to the bulk RI variations. Here, we limit our discussions to the spectral interrogations and the bulk RI sensitivity SRI is given by[3,5–7,30]

Optical Refractive Index Sensors with Plasmonic and Photonic Structures: Promising and Inconvenient Truth

In this work, the numerical and experimental investigation of the cladding modes re-organization in high refractive index (HRI) coated Long Period Gratings (LPGs) is reported. Moreover, the effects of the cladding modes re-organization on the sensitivity to the surrounding medium refractive index (SRI) have been outlined. When azimuthally symmetric nano-scale HRI coatings are deposited along LPGs devices, a significant modification of the cladding modes distribution occurs, depending on the layer features (refractive index and thickness) and on the SRI. In particular, if layer parameters are properly chosen, the transition of the lowest order cladding mode into an overlay mode occurs. As a consequence, a cladding modes re-organization can be observed leading to relevant improvements in the SRI sensitivity in terms of wavelength shift and amplitude variations of the LPGs attenuation bands.

Mode transition in high refractive index coated long period gratings.

Abstract Optical fiber gratings (OFGs), especially long-period gratings (LPGs) and etched or tilted fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), are playing an increasing role in the chemical and biochemical sensing based on the measurement of a surface refractive index (RI) change through a label-free configuration. In these devices, the electric field evanescent wave at the fiber/surrounding medium interface changes its optical properties (i.e. intensity and wavelength) as a result of the RI variation due to the interaction between a biological recognition layer deposited over the fiber and the analyte under investigation. The use of OFG-based technology platforms takes the advantages of optical fiber peculiarities, which are hardly offered by the other sensing systems, such as compactness, lightness, high compatibility with optoelectronic devices (both sources and detectors), and multiplexing and remote measurement capability as the signal is spectrally modulated. During the last decade, the growing request in practical applications pushed the technology behind the OFG-based sensors over its limits by means of the deposition of thin film overlays, nanocoatings, and nanostructures, in general. Here, we review efforts toward utilizing these nanomaterials as coatings for high-performance and low-detection limit devices. Moreover, we review the recent development in OFG-based biosensing and identify some of the key challenges for practical applications. While high-performance metrics are starting to be achieved experimentally, there are still open questions pertaining to an effective and reliable detection of small molecules, possibly up to single molecule, sensing in vivo and multi-target detection using OFG-based technology platforms.

https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/nanoph.2017.6.issue-4/nanoph-2016-0178/nanoph-2016-0178.xml

Biosensing with optical fiber gratings

Optical fibre-based sensor technology for humidity and moisture measurement: Review of recent progress

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) describes a family of techniques first discovered and developed in the 1960s. Whereas the nascent history of the technique is parallel to that of laser light sources, recent advances have spurred a resurgence in its use and development that has spanned across scientific fields and spatial scales. SRS is a nonlinear technique that probes the same vibrational modes of molecules that are seen in spontaneous Raman scattering. While spontaneous Raman scattering is an incoherent technique, SRS is a coherent process, and this fact provides several advantages over conventional Raman techniques, among which are much stronger signals and the ability to time-resolve the vibrational motions. Technological improvements in pulse generation and detection strategies have allowed SRS to probe increasingly smaller volumes and shorter time scales. This has enabled SRS research to move from its original domain, of probing bulk media, to imaging biological tissues and single cells at the micr...

/pdf/stimulated-raman-scattering-from-bulk-to-nano-3gspz7pb0p.pdf

Stimulated Raman Scattering: From Bulk to Nano.

We have theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the resonant wavelength of long period fiber gratings (LPG) can be shifted by a large magnitude by coating with only a nm-thick thin-film that has a refractive index higher than that of the glass cladding. The resonant wavelength shift can result from either the variation of the thickness of the film and/or the variation of its refractive index. These results demonstrate the sensitivity of LPG-based sensors can be enhanced by using a film of nm-thickness and refractive index greater than silica. This coating schematic offers an efficient platform for achieving high-performance index-modulating fiber devices and high-performance index/thickness-sensing LPG-based fiber sensors for detecting optical property variations of the thin-film coating.

Analysis of optical response of long period fiber gratings to nm-thick thin-film coating.

We demonstrate that ionic self-assembled multilayers (ISAMs) adsorbed on long period gratings (LPGs) function effectively as biosensors using biotin–streptavidin as a demonstration bioconjugate pair. Biotin, streptavidin, and anti-streptavidin were deposited onto the ISAM-coated LPG sequentially, each inducing a measurable resonant wavelength shift of the LPG. Control experiments verified the specificity of the biosensor system. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ISAM coated turnaround point LPGs could serve as highly sensitive biosensors that exhibit a change in transmitted intensity rather than resonant wavelength. Experimental measurements confirm that ISAM-coated LPGs provide an attractive platform for building efficient and high-performance optical sensors.

Biosensors employing ionic self-assembled multilayers adsorbed on long-period fiber gratings

Backward Raman amplification in a fused‐silica fiber waveguide is studied using two dye lasers for its possible application as an amplifier and a pulse sharpening device. Greater than 90% of pump to signal conversion is observed together with a preferential amplification of the signal pulse front. Short pulse generation and complete pump depletion are also observed in a single dye laser pumped fiber Raman generator‐amplifier system.

Backward Raman amplification and pulse steepening in silica fibers

Ionic self-assembled multilayers deposited on long period fiber gratings (LPGs) yield dramatic resonant-wavelength shifts, even with nanometer-thick films Fine control of the refractive index and the thickness of these films was achieved by altering the relative fraction of the anionic and cationic materials combined with layer-by-layer deposition We demonstrate the feasibility of this highly controllable deposition technique for fine-tuning grating properties In addition a variety of biological and chemical sensing agents can easily be incorporated into these films, which makes this an attractive platform for realization of high-performance LPG-based sensors

/pdf/highly-sensitive-optical-response-of-optical-fiber-long-2mdl6l6jha.pdf

Highly sensitive optical response of optical fiber long period gratings to nanometer-thick ionic self-assembled multilayers

Ionic self-assembled multilayers of nm-thicknesses are deposited on long period fiber gratings. We observe dramatic resonant-wavelength shifts even with nm-thick films. We demonstrate the feasibility of this highly controllable deposition-technique for fine-tuning grating properties, and for their use as biosensors

Rogers H. Stolen

Papers

Analysis of optical response of long period fiber gratings to nm-thick thin-film coating.

Biosensors employing ionic self-assembled multilayers adsorbed on long-period fiber gratings

Backward Raman amplification and pulse steepening in silica fibers

Highly sensitive optical response of optical fiber long period gratings to nanometer-thick ionic self-assembled multilayers

Sensitive optical response of long period fiber gratings to nm-thick ionic self-assembled multilayers