Fiber Optic-Based Refractive Index Sensing at INESC Porto.docVIP

Sensors 2012, 12, 8371-8389; doi:10.3390/s120608371 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 /journal/sensors Review Fiber Optic-Based Refractive Index Sensing at INESC Porto Pedro A. S. Jorge 1,*, Susana O. Silva 1,2, Carlos Gouveia 1,3, Paula Tafulo 1,2, Luis Coelho 1,2, Paulo Caldas 1,4, Diana Viegas 1, Gaspar Rego 1,4, José M. Baptista 1,3, José L. Santos 1,2 and Orlando Fraz?o 1 1 INESC Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, Porto 4169-007, Portugal; E-Mails: ssilva@fc.up.pt (S.O.S.); icarlos07@ (C.G.); paula.tafulo@fc.up.pt (P.T.); lccoelho@ (L.C.);pcaldas@inescporto.pt (P.C.); diana.viegas@ (D.V.); gaspar@estg.ipvc.pt (G.R.); jmb@inescporto.pt (J.M.B.); josantos@fc.up.pt (J.L.S.); ofrazao@inescporto.pt (O.F.) 2 Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 687, Porto 4169-007, Portugal 3 Centro de Competência de Ciências Exatas e da Engenharia, Universidade da Madeira, Campus da Penteada, Funchal 9000-390, Portugal 4 Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gest?o de Viana do Castelo, Av. do Atlantico, Apartado 574, Viana do Castelo 4900-348, Portugal * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: pjorge@inescporto.pt; Tel.: +351-220-402-301; Fax: +351-220-402-734. Received: 2 May 2012; in revised form: 4 June 2012 / Accepted: 6 June 2012 / Published: 18 June 2012 Abstract: A review of refractive index measurement based on different types of optical fiber sensor configurations and techniques is presented. It addresses the main developments in the area, with particular focus on results obtained at INESC Porto, Portugal. The optical fiber sensing structures studied include those based on Bragg and long period gratings, on micro-interferometers, on plasmonic effects in fibers and on multimode interference in a large spectrum of standard and microstructured optical fibers. Keywords: refractive index measurement; Bragg gratings; long period gratings; surface plasmonic resonan