Speaker: Dr. Violakis George
Affiliation: Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL)
Title: Novel sensing and actuating optical fiber devices
Place: A. Payatakes Seminar Room
Date: 10/07/2018
Time: 16:00 (coffee & cookies at 15:45)
Abstract:
In a world with steadily increasing energy demands, miniaturization and optimization of energy efficiency is becoming a key design element of devices. Optical fibers have proven excellent platforms for the realization of miniature, flexible and energy efficient sensors and actuators. In this work we present two different classes of optical fiber based devices: First, a miniature magnetic field sensor with field amplitude and direction sensing capability, realized by encapsulating ferrofluids on a D-shaped optical fiber. The total footprint of this sensor is of the order of a few hundred micrometers with possible applications in magneto-optical switching or sensing. Second, a novel-photonic bandgap optical fiber is presented, which was realized by infiltrating 2-methyl 4-nitroaniline (MNA) in the capillaries of a commercially available microstructured optical fiber. The resulting composite fiber exhibits a wavelength dependent guidance mechanism and second harmonic generation, both of which depend on MNA solidification inside the fiber capillaries. Post processing the composite fiber by means of thermal annealing and poling is used to alter the structure of the MNA material in the capillaries which affects both fiber transmittance characteristics and second harmonic generation efficiency. Such a type of optical fiber could be used in all-optical gating and wavelength conversion devices.