An Mach-Zehnder interferometer refractive index sensor based on self-phase modulation effect in a tapered double-cladding highly nonlinear fiber

An Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) sensor based on self-phase modulation (SPM) effect in a tapered doublecladding highly nonlinear fiber (DCHNLF) was proposed and experimentally verified for refractive index (RI) measurement. The DCHNLF was tapered and the SPM spectrum generated in its untapered region acted as the broadband light source for the sensor. The integration of the SPM effect and the RI detection not only simplified the structure of the sensor, but also enhanced its long-term stability and reliability. Since the effective RI of the outer cladding mode of the tapered DCHNLF was affected by the RI variation, a spectral shift would occur in interference spectrum between the core mode and the outer cladding mode. The tapering treatment enhanced the evanescent wave on the surface of DCHNLF, making the sensor more sensitive to external RI. In the external RI range of 1.3333 - 1.3972, the sensor achieved an excellent sensitivity of 238.51 nm/RIU. In addition, the effect of average pump power and pump wavelength on the sensor performance were experimentally discussed. The results showed that the sensitivity was not affected by the pump condition. This MZI RI sensor has advantages of excellent performance, simple structure and easy fabrication, demonstrating broad application prospects in biomedical research, marine environment monitoring, and human health detection.