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

Identifier:  imarina:9242015

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9242015

Authors:  Martinez, Javier; Rodenas, Airan; Stake, Andreas; Traveria, Miquel; Aguilo, Magdalena; Solis, Javier; Osellame, Roberto; Tanaka, Taro; Berton, Benoit; Kimura, Shigueo; Rehfeld, Nadine; Diaz, Francesc

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, a novel type of mid-infrared waveguide sensors is reported which exploit vibrational resonance-driven directional coupling effects besides absorption, with optical sensing elements that can be buried (approximate to 1-10 mu m) and resist systematic exposure to industrial environments without failure. A harsh-environmentresistant, fiber-coupled, surface sensor for monitoring the structural phase of water (liquid-supercooled-solid), as well as the type of ice microstructure (clear rime), is shown. It is demonstrated how this type of sensor can be designed to detect ice layers with nanometric (approximate to 100 nm) to microscopic (approximate to 30 mu m or higher) thicknesses, and the first experimental tests both in optical laboratory and in icing wind tunnel inflight aircraft simulation tests are reported.