Effective Utilization of Local Fiber Coating Materials for Enhanced Sensitivity in Temperature and Humidity Sensing Applications

Abstract

In the customary procedures relevant to the manipulation of optical fibers, including practices, such as splicing, tapering, and polishing, the conventional practice involves the removal of the protective coating layer from the optical fiber. During our empirical examinations pertaining to the process of optical fiber polishing, we have achieved that a substantial portion of this modal interference phenomenon occurs within the residual coating layer. Importantly, this naturally occurring polymeric material lends itself to applications in the field of temperature and humidity sensing. Leveraging this discovery, our study achieves a remarkable humidity sensitivity of -0.815 nm per relative humidity percentage (RH%) and a temperature sensitivity of -3.422 nm/°C. Furthermore, the engineered structural configuration exhibits robust operational and stability characteristics.