A reliable, sensitive and fast optical fiber hydrogen sensor based on surface plasmon resonance.

We report for the first time on the experimental response of a Surface Plasmon Resonance fiber optic sensor based on wavelength modulation for hydrogen sensing. This approach of measuring the hydrogen concentration makes the sensor insensitive to intensity fluctuations. The intrinsic fiber sensor developed provides remote sensing and enables the possibility of multi-points sensing. The sensor consists of a multilayer of 35 nm Au/180 nm SiO2/Pd deposited on a step- index multimode fiber core. The sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor are optimal at a Pd thickness of 3.75 nm. The sensor is sensitive to a hydrogen concentration ranging between 0.5 and 4% H2 in Ar, with a response time less than 15 s.

[1]  Michael A. Carpenter,et al.  All-optical hydrogen sensor based on a high alloy content palladium thin film , 2006 .

[2]  B. Liedberg,et al.  Surface plasmon resonance for gas detection and biosensing , 1983 .

[3]  Y. S. Cho,et al.  Synthesis of yttriumtrihydride films for ex-situ measurements , 1996 .

[4]  F. Favier,et al.  Hydrogen Sensors and Switches from Electrodeposited Palladium Mesowire Arrays , 2001, Science.

[5]  H. Giessen,et al.  A hydrogen sensor based on metallic photonic crystal slabs , 2008, 2008 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2008 Conference on Quantum Electronics and Laser Science.

[6]  Alain Trouillet,et al.  Fibre gratings for hydrogen sensing , 2005, International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors.

[7]  Ian Bennion,et al.  Fibre optics in palladium-based hydrogen sensing , 2007 .

[8]  Ichiro Yamada,et al.  Optical hydrogen detection with periodic subwavelength palladium hole arrays , 2009 .

[9]  B. Sutapun,et al.  Pd-coated elastooptic fiber optic Bragg grating sensors for multiplexed hydrogen sensing , 1999 .

[10]  M. Buric,et al.  Active Fiber Bragg Grating Hydrogen Sensors for All-Temperature Operation , 2007, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[11]  I. Pockrand,et al.  Resonance anomalies in the light intensity reflected at silver gratings with dielectric coatings , 1976 .

[12]  M. Gal,et al.  Enhanced optical detection of hydrogen using the excitation of surface plasmons in palladium , 1993 .

[13]  S. Yee,et al.  A fiber-optic chemical sensor based on surface plasmon resonance , 1993 .

[14]  A. Walton,et al.  Effect of the substrate on the thermodynamic properties of PdHx films studied by hydrogenography , 2009 .

[15]  James S. Wilkinson,et al.  A waveguide-coupled surface-plasmon sensor for an aqueous environment , 1994 .

[16]  A. Trouillet,et al.  Hydrogen leak detection using an optical fibre sensor for aerospace applications , 2000 .

[17]  H. Xia,et al.  All-optical hydrogen-sensing materials based on tailored palladium alloy thin films. , 2004, Analytical chemistry.

[18]  Alain Trouillet,et al.  Fibre gratings for hydrogen sensing , 2006 .

[19]  Tao Wei,et al.  Nano-structured Pd-long period fiber gratings integrated optical sensor for hydrogen detection , 2008 .

[20]  Igor Zorić,et al.  Hydrogen storage in Pd nanodisks characterized with a novel nanoplasmonic sensing scheme. , 2007, Nano letters.

[21]  R. Gremaud,et al.  Hydrogenography of PdHx thin films: Influence of H-induced stress relaxation processes , 2009 .

[22]  R. J. Bell,et al.  Optical properties of the metals Al, Co, Cu, Au, Fe, Pb, Ni, Pd, Pt, Ag, Ti, and W in the infrared and far infrared. , 1983, Applied optics.

[23]  Harald Giessen,et al.  Palladium-based plasmonic perfect absorber in the visible wavelength range and its application to hydrogen sensing. , 2011, Nano letters.

[24]  Reinhardt Willsch,et al.  Optical fiber Bragg grating hydrogen sensor based on evanescent-field interaction with palladium thin-film transducer , 2009 .

[25]  P. Berini,et al.  Modeling and design of hydrogen gas sensors based on a membrane-supported surface plasmon waveguide , 2012 .

[26]  M. Rubin,et al.  Refractive index changes of Pd-coated magnesium lanthanide switchable mirrors upon hydrogen insertion , 1999 .

[27]  D. Malocha,et al.  A study on the aging of ultra-thin Palladium films on SAW hydrogen gas sensors , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium.

[28]  P Meyrueis,et al.  Fiber optic Surface Plasmon Resonance sensor based on wavelength modulation for hydrogen sensing. , 2011, Optics express.

[29]  L. Boon-Brett,et al.  Identifying performance gaps in hydrogen safety sensor technology for automotive and stationary applications , 2010 .

[30]  Kyriacos Kalli,et al.  Characterization of reflectivity inversion, α- and β-phase transitions and nanostructure formation in hydrogen activated thin Pd films on silicon based substrates , 2002 .

[31]  Joel Villatoro,et al.  Fast detection of hydrogen with nano fiber tapers coated with ultra thin palladium layers. , 2005, Optics express.

[32]  Alain Trouillet,et al.  Surface plasmon resonance hydrogen sensor using an optical fibre , 2002 .

[33]  M. Hentschel,et al.  Infrared perfect absorber and its application as plasmonic sensor. , 2010, Nano letters.

[34]  Tailored Pd–Au layer produced by conventional evaporation process for hydrogen sensing , 2011 .

[35]  Igor Zorić,et al.  Indirect nanoplasmonic sensing: ultrasensitive experimental platform for nanomaterials science and optical nanocalorimetry. , 2010, Nano letters.

[36]  I. Garcés,et al.  Four-layer chemical fibre optic plasmon-based sensor , 1992 .

[37]  P. Meyrueis,et al.  Wavelength response of a surface plasmon resonance palladium-coated optical fiber sensor for hydrogen detection , 2011 .