Harsh-Environment Resistant OH-Vibrations Sensitive Mid-Infrared Water-Ice Photonic Sensor

Identifier:  PC:2909

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/PC2909

Authors:  Aguilo, M.; Martinez, J.; Rodenas, A.; Stake, A; Traveria, M.; Solis, J.; Osellame, R.; Tanaka, T.; Berton, B.; Kimura, S.; Rehfeld, N.; Diaz, F.

Abstract:
State-of-the-art ultrahigh-sensitivity photonic sensing schemes rely on exposing the evanescent field of tightly confined light to the environment. Yet this renders an inherent fragility to the device, and since adding a protective layer disables light exposure, there exists a technology gap for highly-sensitive harsh-environment resistant surface photonic sensors. Here we report a novel type of mid-infrared waveguide sensors which exploit vibrational resonance-driven directional coupling effects besides absorption, with optical sensing elements that can be buried (~1-10 μm) and resist systematic exposure to industrial environments without failure. A harshenvironment resistant, fiber-coupled, surface sensor for monitoring the structural phase of water (liquid-supercooled-solid), as well as the type of ice microstructure (clearrime), is shown. We demonstrate how this type of sensor can be designed to detect ice layers with nanometric (~100 nm) to microscopic (~30 μm or higher) thicknesses, and report the first experimental tests both in optical laboratory and in icing wind tunnel inflight aircraft simulation tests.