Dual functional performance of fiber Bragg gratings coated with metals using flash evaporation technique

Metallic and other type of coatings on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors alter their sensitivity with thermal and mechanical stress while protecting the fragile optical fiber in harsh sensing surroundings. The behavior of the coated materials is unique in their response to thermal and mechanical stress depending on the thickness and the mode of coating. The thermal stress during the coating affects the temperature sensitivity of FBG sensors. We have explored the thermal response of FBGs coated with Al and Pb to an average thickness of 80 nm using flash evaporation technique where the FBG sensor is mounted in a region at room temperature in an evacuated chamber having a pressure of 10^?6 Torr which will minimize any thermal stress during the coating process. The coating thickness is chosen in the nanometer region with the aim to study thermal behavior of nanocoatings and their effect on FBG sensitivity. The sensitivity of FBGs is evaluated from the wavelengths recorded using an optical sensing interrogator sm 130 (Micron Optics) from room temperature to 300 °C both during heating and cooling. It is observed that the sensitivity of the metal coated fibers is better than the reference FBG with no coating for the entire range of temperature. For a coating thickness of 80 nm, Al coated FBG is more sensitive than the one coated with Pb up to 170 °C and it reverses at higher temperatures. This point is identified as a reversible phase transition in Pb monolayers as the 2-dimensional aspects of the metal layers are dominant in the nanocoatings of Pb. On cooling, the phase transition reverses and the FBGs return to the original state and for repeated cycles of heating and cooling the same pattern is observed. Thus the FBG functions as a sensor of the phase transitions of the coatings also.     

High Quality Factor Metallodielectric Hybrid Plasmonic–Photonic Crystals

A 2D polystyrene colloidal crystal self‐assembled on a flat gold surface supports multiple photonic and plasmonic propagating resonance modes. For both classes of modes, the quality factors can exceed 100, higher than the quality factor of surface plasmons (SP) at a polymer–gold interface. The spatial energy distribution of those resonance modes are carefully studied by measuring the optical response of the hybrid plasmonic–photonic crystal after coating with dielectric materials under different coating profiles. Computer simulations with results closely matching those of experiments provide a clear picture of the field distribution of each resonance mode. For the SP modes, there is strong confinement of electromagnetic energy near the metal surface, while for optical modes, the field is confined inside the spherical particles, far away from the metal. Coating of dielectric material on the crystal results in a large shift in optical features. A surface sensor based on the hybrid plasmonic–photonic crystal is proposed, and it is shown to have atomic layer sensitivity. An example of ethanol vapor sensing based on physisorption of ethanol onto the sensor surface is demonstrated.     

Selective Pd Deposition on Au Nanobipyramids and Pd Site‐Dependent Plasmonic Photocatalytic Activity

The synthesis of anisotropic metal nanostructures is strongly desired for exploring plasmon‐enabled applications. Herein, the preparation of anisotropic Au/SiO₂ and Au/SiO₂/Pd nanostructures is realized through selective silica coating on Au nanobipyramids. For silica coating at the ends of Au nanobipyramids, the amount of coated silica and the overall shape of the coated nanostructures exhibit a bell‐shaped dependence on the cationic surfactant concentration. For both end and side silica coating on Au nanobipyramids, the size of the silica component can be varied by changing the silica precursor amount. Silica can also be selectively deposited on the corners or facets of Au nanocubes, suggesting the generality of this method. The blockage of the predeposited silica component on Au nanobipyramids enables further selective Pd deposition. Suzuki coupling reactions carried out with the different bimetallic nanostructures functioning as plasmonic photocatalysts indicate that the plasmonic photocatalytic activity is dependent on the site of Pd nanoparticles on Au nanobipyramids. Taken together, these results suggest that plasmonic hot spots play an important role in hot‐electron‐driven plasmonic photocatalysis. This study opens up a promising route to the construction of anisotropic bimetallic nanostructures as well as to the design of bimetallic plasmonic‐catalytic nanostructures as efficient plasmonic photocatalysts.     

Hybrid plasmonic label-free multi-analyte refractive index sensor

We propose a label-free refractive index sensor based on hybrid plasmonic resonator which consists of silver split-ring resonator and photonic waveguide. The finite difference time domain evaluation of the design exhibit strong field confinement at the center of the ring and introduces tunable and sensitive notches in the transmission spectrum. The planar tunable architecture which performs well over the range of micro fluid detection, holds the promise of developing multi-analyte label-free biosensors and compactness towards a complete on-chip integrated sensing system. The performance of the proposed refractive index sensor is evaluated by placing different analytes such as saline water and ethanol at the center of the hybrid plasmonic ring which exhibits sensitivity of 847.50 nm.RIU-1 with a figure of merit of 563.25 RIU-1.     

Moisture-Driven Switching of Plasmonic Bound States in the Continuum in the Visible Region

Fast and full switching of plasmonic resonances would provide a building block for integrated electro-optically active plasmonics. To date, limited by the material properties, achieving a plasmonic resonance that can be turned fully ON and OFF in the visible region remains a formidable challenge. In this study, a nearly full optical switching based on a moisture-driven metal-hydrogel-metal (MHM) metasurface at visible frequency is experimentally realized. As a result of the bound state in the continuum (BIC)-to-quasi-BIC transition in the MHM, a sharp Fano-type quasi-BIC resonance can be switched off and back on with an ultrahigh reflectance modulation depth up to −14.6 dB within 1 s by moisture loading. Such a BIC-to-quasi-BIC transition can be well mediated by engineering the coupling between the magnetic mode and surface plasmon polariton via an active control of the gap distance between the two metallic layers. Using this concept, the MHM is demonstrated as a fast-response breathing sensor with a maximum detectable respiratory rate of up to 30 breaths per minute (bpm). These results suggest that our approach will help to realize plasmonic-based integrated active optical devices in optical sensing and modulation.     

Nanogap Plasmonic Structures Fabricated by Switchable Capillary‐Force Driven Self‐Assembly for Localized Sensing of Anticancer Medicines with Microfluidic SERS

Nanogap plasmonic structures, which can strongly enhance electromagnetic fields, enable widespread applications in surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing. Although the directed self‐assembly strategy has been adopted for the fabrication of micro/nanostructures on open surfaces, fabrication of nanogap plasmonic structures on complex substrates or at designated locations still remains a grand challenge. Here, a switchable self‐assembly method is developed to manufacture 3D nanogap plasmonic structures by combining supercritical drying and capillary‐force driven self‐assembly (CFSA) of micropillars fabricated by laser printing. The polymer pillars can stay upright during solvent development via supercritical drying, and then can form the nanogap after metal coating and subsequent CFSA. Due to the excellent flexibility of this method, diverse patterned plasmonic nanogap structures can be fabricated on planar or nonplanar substrates for SERS. The measured SERS signals of different patterned nanogaps in fluidic environment show a maximum enhancement factor ≈8 × 10⁷. Such nanostructures in microchannels also allow localized sensing for anticancer drugs (doxorubicin). Resulting from the marriage of top‐down and self‐assembly techniques, this method provides a facile, effective, and controllable approach for creating nanogap enabled SERS devices in fluidic channels, and hence can advance applications in precision medicine.     

Non‐Toxic Dry‐Coated Nanosilver for Plasmonic Biosensors

The plasmonic properties of noble metals facilitate their use for in vivo bio‐applications such as targeted drug delivery and cancer cell therapy. Nanosilver is best suited for such applications as it has the lowest plasmonic losses among all such materials in the UV‐visible spectrum. Its toxicity, however, can destroy surrounding healthy tissues and thus, hinders its safe use. Here, that toxicity against a model biological system (Escherichia coli) is “cured” or blocked by coating nanosilver hermetically with a about 2 nm thin SiO₂ layer in one‐step by a scalable flame aerosol method followed by swirl injection of a silica precursor vapor (hexamethyldisiloxane) without reducing the plasmonic performance of the enclosed or encapsulated silver nanoparticles (20–40 nm in diameter as determined by X‐ray diffraction and microscopy). This creates the opportunity to safely use powerful nanosilver for intracellular bio‐applications. The label‐free biosensing and surface bio‐functionalization of these ready‐to‐use, non‐toxic (benign) Ag nanoparticles is presented by measuring the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a model sensing experiment. Furthermore, the silica coating around nanosilver prevents its agglomeration or flocculation (as determined by thermal annealing, optical absorption spectroscopy and microscopy) and thus, enhances its biosensitivity, including bioimaging as determined by dark field illumination.     

反射式掺杂液晶光子晶体光纤电场传感实验研究

提出了一种反射式结构的掺杂向列液晶(NLC)光子晶体光纤(PCF)电场测量传感器。传感器由小于1cm长的掺入液晶实芯PCF构成,在掺杂光纤端面镀Ag膜以提高端面反射率。通过实验,测量出了反射光强随电场强度增加的变化情况,证实了设计的传感器可以用于电场在1.4～3.7kVrms/mm范围内的电场测量,同时获得了镀膜对反射光强的影响以及对传感器灵敏度、精度的影响。     

Fully Flexible Electromagnetic Vibration Sensors with Annular Field Confinement Origami Magnetic Membranes

Sensing of mechanical motion based on flexible electromagnetic sensors is challenging due to the complexity of obtaining flexible magnetic membranes with confined and enhanced magnetic fields. A fully flexible electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor is developed to conduct wearable monitoring of mechanical displacement with excellent adaptability to complex surface morphology through a suspended flexible magnet enclosed within a novel setup formed by a multi‐layer flexible coil and annular origami magnetic membranes. The annular membranes not only regulate the overall distribution of the magnetic field and enhance the overall magnetism by 291%, but also greatly increase the range of the magnetic field to cover the entire region of the coil. The sensor offers a broad frequency response ranging from 1 Hz to 10 kHz and a sensitivity of 0.59 mV µm^?1 at 1.7 kHz. The fully flexible format of the sensor enables various applications demonstrated by biophysical sensing, motion detection, voice recognition, and machine diagnostics through direct attachment on soft and curvilinear surfaces. Similar sensors can combine multiple sensing and energy harvesting modalities to achieve battery‐less and self‐sustainable operation, and can be deployed in large numbers to conduct distributed sensing for machine status assessment, health monitoring, rehabilitation, and speech aid.     

Universal Approach to Rapid Amplified Plasmonic Sensing Using Helix Defect Phase Transition Polymers

Permittivity sensing is a critically important analytical tool for bioscience, environmental, and industrial applications. The response time for commonly used plasmonic permittivity sensors is fundamentally set by the reaction kinetics of chemically adsorbed analytes. In this work, the proposal is to overcome this limit by combining plasmonic sensors with phase transition materials possessing a rapid amplified electrostatic response such as quadrupole moment induced molecular helix reversal. As a proof-of-concept, rapid sensing of CO₂ on a phase transition polytetrafluoroethylene substrate and amplification of permittivity response in plasmonic Fabry–Perot sensor is shown. The demonstrated universal approach holds promise for a wide range of applications in fast, real time sensing and monitoring of biological and environmental processes.     

Topographically Flat Substrates with Embedded Nanoplasmonic Devices for Biosensing

The ability to precisely control the topography, roughness, and chemical properties of metallic nanostructures is crucial for applications in plasmonics, nanofluidics, electronics, and biosensing. Here a simple method to produce embedded nanoplasmonic devices that can generate tunable plasmonic fields on ultraflat surfaces is demonstrated. Using a template‐stripping technique, isolated metallic nanodisks and wires are embedded in optical epoxy, which is capped with a thin silica overlayer using atomic layer deposition. The top silica surface is topographically flat and laterally homogeneous, providing a uniform, high‐quality biocompatible substrate, while the nanoplasmonic architecture hidden underneath creates a tunable plasmonic landscape for optical imaging and sensing. The localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanodisks embedded underneath flat silica films is used for real‐time kinetic sensing of the formation of a supported lipid bilayer and subsequent receptor‐ligand binding. Gold nanodisks can also be embedded in elastomeric materials, which can be peeled off the substrate to create flexible plasmonic membranes that conform to non‐planar surfaces.     

Tailored Plasmonic Gratings for Enhanced Fluorescence Detection and Microscopic Imaging

The ability to precisely control the pattern of metallic structures at the micro‐ and nanoscale for surface plasmon coupling has been demonstrated to be essential for signal enhancement in fields such as fluorescence and surface‐enhanced Raman scattering. In the present study, a series of silver coated gratings with tailored duty ratio and depth and a periodical pitch of 400 nm are designed and implemented. The influence of the grating profile on plasmonic properties and the corresponding enhancement factor are investigated by angular scanning measurement of reflectivity and fluorescence intensity and by finite difference time domain simulation. The application of the substrate in the enhanced fluorescence imaging detection of labeled protein is also investigated. This substrate has a wide range of potential applications in areas including biodiagnostics, imaging, sensing, and photovoltaic cells.     

探针式结构极大倾角光纤光栅传感器特性研究

针对透射式极大倾角光纤光栅(ExTFG)在工程应用中结构不紧凑、使用不便等问题,该文提出了基于探针式结构的ExTFG传感器。分析了探针式结构的ExTFG的光路原理,提出其制作方法,搭建了探针式结构ExTFG的传感系统,实验研究了在距离ExTFG末端不同位置进行切割并镀银膜构成的传感器探针光谱特性,使用毛细管封装端面,增加传感器稳定性;最后分析探针式结构ExTFG的折射率传感特性。结果表明,对应的切割端面距离栅区越近,谐振峰的损耗越小;相比透射式ExTFG,探针式结构ExTFG的TM模和TE模的折射率灵敏度分别提高了约11.21%与8.09%,在实际应用中更适用。     

Micro-structured fiber Bragg gratings. Part II: Towards advanced photonic devices

In this paper, the authors present new and complex configurations involving micro-structured fiber Bragg gratings (MSFBGs) as advanced devices for sensing and communications applications. First, the spectral behaviour of multi-defect MSFBGs is investigated with particular regards to the possibility to carry out multi-parameter sensor by a single sensing element. More defects along the grating permit the formation of more defect states inside the band-gap ruled by the multiple interaction of the signal reflected by the unperturbed grating regions modulated by the phase delays of the perturbations. Here, a practical case based on a two-defect MSFBG is taken into account, revealing the potentiality to perform dual SRI measurements with a single MSFBG device. Finally, a novel configuration has been considered involving a single-defect MSFBG coated with nano-sized coatings with higher refractive index compared to the cladding one. The presence of a high refractive index coating along the thinned region would induce the mode redistribution and the transition from core modes to overlay modes if coating features are properly selected. Here, sensitivity characteristics of the proposed device are analysed and significant improvement in the sensing performances have been obtained, including the possibility to tune the maximum sensitivity in the desired range.     

Index sensing characteristics of the plasmonic sensor based on metal-insulator-metal waveguide-coupled structure

A plasmonic refractive index sensor based on metal-insulator-metal(MIM) waveguide-coupled structure is proposed and demonstrated in this paper.The physical mechanism of the device is deduced,and the finite difference time domain(FDTD) method is employed to simulate and study its index sensing characteristics.Both analytic and simulated results show that the resonant wavelength of the sensor has a linear relationship with the refractive index of material under sensing.Based on the relationship,the refractive index of the material can be obtained from the detection of the resonant wavelength.The results show that the sensitivity of the sensor can exceed 1600 nm/RIU,and it can be used in chemical and biological detections.     

用于测量折射率的光纤迈克尔逊干涉型传感器

提出了一种基于单模光纤-四芯光纤-薄芯光纤(SMF-FCF-TCF)迈克尔逊干涉结构的折射率传感器。采用直接熔接的方式将各光纤进行熔接,由于各光纤之间纤芯的直径不匹配,因此在光纤的熔接处会发生光的激发和耦合。薄芯光纤端面涂覆有一层银面反射膜并用紫外固化胶进行保护来增强光在端面的反射率。四芯光纤作为传感结构中的耦合器,激发了更多的光进入薄芯光纤的包层中,提升了传感器的灵敏度。对传感器的折射率和温度传感特性分别进行了实验探究,实验结果表明,在折射率1.3333~1.3794范围内的灵敏度为137.317 nm/RIU,线性度为0.999,并且温度对传感器的影响较小。该传感结构熔接方式简单,在折射率测量领域具有一定的应用前景。     

Cover Picture: Fabrication and Characterization of Three‐Dimensional Silver‐Coated Polymeric Microstructures (Adv. Funct. Mater. 13/2006)

Kuebler and co‐workers report on p. 1739 a method for preparing conductive and optically reflective silver‐coated polymeric microstructures having virtually any 3D form. Shown are reflection images of a silvered five‐layer simple‐cubic lattice having a period of 2.4 μm (background) and a macroscopic silvered polymer film (inset). To prepare metallopolymeric microstructures, 3D polymeric scaffolds are first created by multiphoton direct laser writing, then functionalized with gold particles, and metallized using nucleated electroless silver deposition. A method is reported for fabricating complex 3D silver‐coated polymeric microstructures. The approach is based on the creation of a crosslinked polymeric microscaffold via patterned multiphoton‐initiated polymerization followed by surface‐nucleated electroless deposition of silver. The conductivity and reflectivity of the resulting silver–polymer composites and the nanoscale morphology of the deposited silver are characterized. Sub‐micrometer thick layers of silver can be controllably deposited onto surfaces, including those of 3D microporous forms without occluding the interior of the structure. The approach is general for silver coating crosslinked polymeric structures based on acrylate, methacrylate, and epoxide resins and provides a new path to complex 3D micrometer‐scale devices with electronic, photonic, and electromechanical function.     

Gold Coating of Silver Nanoprisms

Core–shell Ag@Au nanoprisms are prepared through a surfactant‐free seed‐mediated approach by taking advantage of the anisotropic structure of silver nanoprisms as seeds. The gold coating on the silver nanoprism surface is achieved by using hydroxylamine as a mild reducing agent, and the final fully gold‐coated prism structures are confirmed by microscopic and spectroscopic characterization. The resulting Ag@Au core–shell structure preserves the optical signatures of nanoprisms and offers versatile functionality and particularly better stability against oxidation than the bare silver nanoprism. The surface plasmon resonances of the core–shell Ag@Au nanoprisms can be tuned throughout the visible and near‐IR range as a function of the Au shell thickness. Such tailorable optical features and surfactant‐free gold shells have great potential applications in biosensing and bioimaging.     

可实现温度降敏的金属化光纤布拉格光栅

针对光纤布拉格光栅(FBG)传感器用于精确测量应力/应变场合时需屏蔽或补偿其温度灵敏性,本文在FBG化学镀Ni保护的基础上加入ZrO2微粒,形成Ni-ZrO2化学复合镀层,既具有金属镀层的保护作用,同时又实现了FBG的温度降敏。经元素分类扫描(EDS)测试,Zr元素的质量含量为30.12%,Ni元素的质量含量为67.87%;经扫描电镜(SEM)检测,复合镀层与FBG传感器结合紧密。对两支Ni-ZrO2化学复合镀保护的FBG传感器进行了多次30～90℃的温度传感实验,相比于化学镀Ni的FBG,其温度灵敏系数平均下降了34.59%。这表明,经Ni-ZrO2化学复合镀保护的FBG传感器具有温度降敏的特性。     

Expanding the Horizon of Mechanochromic Detection by Luminescent Shear Stress Sensor Supraparticles

Novel sensor particles have been developed that expand the variety of today's mechanochromic systems. The developed supraparticles consist of several different components to enable the sensor function. First, a luminescence‐quenching core material is coated with silica nanoparticles. Second, this structure is surrounded by raspberry‐like nanostructured silica particles, which host luminophore moieties. Upon shear stress, components spatially separated in the original supraparticles, namely quencher and luminophore components, come into contact. This causes an irreversible quenching of the luminescence (sensor turn‐off). Different options to select core, quencher, and luminophore components allow to drive the sensors to different sensing options regarding response time, sensitivity, and operation time. The sensors can be sensitive and rapid in response or generated to monitor the influence of shear stress over longer periods of time. Thus, a rapid, visible, “on‐the‐fly” sensing of shear stress is possible as well as monitoring the impact of prolonged shear stress. The particles are assembled by spray‐drying. This affords flexibility when choosing the type of quencher and luminophore moiety. As such, the sensitivity of this robust, particle‐based shear stress sensor system can be deliberately configured. Furthermore, the supraparticle sensor can be integrated in surfaces to create interactive, communicating materials.