Refractive index insensitive temperature sensor based on specialty triple-clad fiber.

A refractive index (RI) insensitive temperature sensor based on specialty triple-clad fiber (STCF) is proposed. Based on coupling mode theory, the STCF can be equivalent to a rod waveguide and two tube waveguides. Then the cladding mode resonance characteristic of STCF is analyzed by calculating different mode dispersion curves, which indicates that it works only on the mode resonance from core to the fluorine-doped silica cladding, and finally a resonance wavelength can be obtained. Two straightforward experiments are performed to prove its sensing properties. Experimental results show that it has sensitivities of 72.17 pm/°C at temperature range from 35°C~95°C with characteristics of insensitive to external RI in the range from 1.3450 to 1.4607. Thus, this proposed sensor can be used for solution temperature monitoring in real time.