Recent advances in mid-ir optical fibres for chemical and biological sensing in the 2-15 μm spectral range

The invited paper explains the transmission properties of a range of near-, mid-, and far-IR optical fibres for their applications in chemical and biological sensing. Methods for the fabrication of single and multiple-core mid-IR fibres are discussed in view of controlling the thermal and viscosity properties for fibre drawing. In particular, the need for removing impurity bands in the 5000 to 1000 cm^-1 range is explained. The importance of engineering multi-core fibres is also discussed for simultaneous measurements of Raman, IR and surface plasmon enhanced modes together with say, temperature using a mid-IR transmitting tellurite fibre e.g. in a chemical process. The paper explains the principles and advantages of evanescent wave coupling of light at the resonant frequency bands for chemical sensing using a fibre evanescent wave spectroscopic sensor having a GeTeSe chalcogenide fibre. Using fibre based techniques, measurements for Cr⁶⁺ions in solution and As³⁺and As⁵⁺in solids have been characterized at visible and mid-IR regions, respectively. In this paper we also explain the importance of using mid-IR fibres for engineering novel laser and broadband sources for chemical sensing. © 2009 SPIE.