Agarose gel-coated LPG based on two sensing mechanisms for relative humidity measurement

Appl Opt. 2013 Jan 1;52(1):90-5. doi: 10.1364/ao.52.000090.

Abstract

A relative humidity (RH) sensor based on long-period grating (LPG) with different responses is proposed by utilizing agarose gel as the sensitive cladding film. The spectral characteristic is discussed as the ambient humidity level ranges from 25% to 95% RH. Since increment of RH will result in volume expansion and refractive index increment of the agarose gel, the LPG is sensitive to applied strain and ambient refractive index; both the resonance wavelength and coupling intensity present particular responses to RH within two different RH ranges (25%-65% RH and 65%-96% RH). The coupling intensity decreases within a lower RH range while it increases throughout a higher RH range. The resonance wavelength is sensitive to the higher RH levels, and the highest sensitivity reaches 114.7 pm/% RH, and shares the same RH turning point with coupling intensity response. From a practical perspective, the proposed RH sensor would find its potential applications in high humidity level, temperature-independent RH sensing and multiparameter sensing based on wavelength/power hybrid demodulation and even static RH alarm for automatic monitoring of a particular RH value owing to the nonmonotonic RH dependence of the transmission power within the whole tested RH range.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Air / analysis*
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Gels / chemistry
  • Gels / radiation effects
  • Humidity*
  • Light
  • Refractometry / instrumentation*
  • Sepharose / chemistry*
  • Sepharose / radiation effects*
  • Steam / analysis*
  • Surface Plasmon Resonance / instrumentation*
  • Transducers

Substances

  • Gels
  • Steam
  • Sepharose