IN-LINE FIBEROPTIC REFRACTOMETRY USING INDEX-SENSITIVE RESONANCE POSITIONS IN SINGLE-MODE FIBER-TO-PLANAR-POLYMER-WAVE-GUIDE COUPLERS

The investigation of a refractometer principle based on index-sensitive resonant wavelength shifts in a fibre-to-planar-waveguide coupler is reported. Device fabrication, involving spin deposition and curing of a polymer onto a side-polished single-mode optical fibre, is relatively straightforward. Three devices of differing polymer waveguide thickness were fabricated and tested, and in all cases there was excellent agreement between experiment and a simple model of operation. The results demonstrated that index resolution down to about 10(-5) is realistic. In addition, an active transducer, based on electrooptic polymers for closed-loop operation, was proposed and investigated.