Study of fiber-optic sensing systems based on the laboratory-on-a-fiber concept

该计划的主要研究目标是继续基于光纤实验室（LOF）概念的新型光纤传感设备的基础研究，该设备可用于安全和安全或环境监测，作为危险物质的远程探测器。这些设备将基于光子晶体光纤（PCF），标准光纤和各种功能化涂层，并将用于重金属和细菌的光子传感应用。 研究计划包括具体的短期和长期目标。在传感设备层面，将研究和开发基于标准光纤和PCF的下一代光纤传感器，以开发具有可编程特性的全新设备类别。这些设备将专门设计使用各种方法，包括倏逝波探头和长周期光栅，结合少模和多模干涉测量。一个实际的目标是选择性地设计和优化这些设备的传输，偏振和光收集性能，通过适当的微结构建模，然后通过适当的工艺过程来制造它们。第二个目的是随后为这些装置配备各种功能化涂层，以便诱导允许检测所选目标的效果。对于水中重金属离子的检测，将使用荧光开启分子探针，而对于水中蓝藻的存在检测，我们计划使用生物噬菌体;这两种类型的传感材料将与光纤集成。 因此，我们期望设计和制造具有上级光学性能的光纤传感器，包括选择性地增强对所选目标的灵敏度和可忽略的假阳性率。由于新传感器的灵活特性和LOF系统方法的处理功能，它们将与许多特定的传感器配置兼容。

The principal research objective of this program is to continue fundamental studies of novel fiber-optic sensing devices based on the lab-on-a-fiber (LOF) concept, which could be used in safety and security or environmental monitoring as remote detectors of dangerous substances. These devices will be based on photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), on standard fibers and on a variety of functionalized coatings, and will be used for applications in photonic sensing of heavy metals and bacteria. The research plan includes specific short-term and long-term objectives. At the sensing device level, studies and development of a next generation of fiber-optic sensors based on standard fibers and on PCFs will be undertaken to develop an entirely new class of devices with programmable properties. These devices will be specifically designed using a variety of approaches, involving evanescent wave probes and long-period gratings, in combination with few-mode and multimode interferometry. A practical objective is to selectively design and optimize the transmission, polarization, and light collection properties of these devices through appropriate microstructural modeling, and then to fabricate them through appropriate technological processes. A second objective is to subsequently equip these devices with a variety of functionalized coatings, in order to induce effects allowing for detection of selected targets. For the detection of heavy metal ions in water, fluorescent turn-on molecular probes will be used, while for cyanobacteria presence detection in water we plan to use biophages; both types of sensory materials will be integrated with the optical fibers. Consequently, we expect to design and manufacture fiber sensors with superior metrological properties, including selectively enhanced sensitivity to a chosen target and negligible false positive ratio. Due to the flexible properties of the new sensors and the processing functionality of our LOF system approach they will be compatible with many specific sensor configurations.