High-sensitivity fiber optic hydrogen sensor in air by optimizing a self-referenced demodulating method

摘要

Self-referenced demodulating methods of fiber optic hydrogen sensors based on WO3-Pd2Pt-Pt composite film are studied in this paper. By employing the proper baseline intensity as sensing parameters, fluctuations of the sensing signal of the hydrogen sensor can be obviously depressed, and sensitivity can be greatly improved. Experimental results show that the resolution of the hydrogen sensor can reach 3 parts per million (ppm) when the hydrogen concentration is lower than 1000 ppm. Additionally, the hydrogen sensor shows better sensitivity toward lower concentrations of hydrogen, enabling a hydrogen threshold down to 10 ppm in air at room temperature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest threshold reported for an optical hydrogen sensor operated at room temperature in air. Moreover, the sensor has good repeatability during hydrogen response. This work proposes a simple and novel method to improve the performance of fiber optic hydrogen sensors, which can greatly promote their potential application in various fields. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America