Superstructure fiber Bragg gratings with coated polyaniline film for ammonia detecting

In this paper, we proposed a chemical-gas fiber sensor based on the poly-aniline film coated on the surface of an etched fiber grating and experimentally demonstrated for detecting ammonia gas. This sensing mechanism is based on the testing gas to interact with the poly-aniline coating film on the surface of the fiber grating to cause the thin-film index change and then to create the Bragg wavelength shift or grating reflectivity variation. The sensitivity and response time of this sensor for measuring ammonia gas are around 0.73 nm per percent concentration and tens of mini-seconds respectively, which depend on the optical characteristics of fiber grating, the diameter of fiber cladding, and the constituents of chemical sensing film. This sensor may provide a simple, reliable, repeatable and non-destructive fiber sensing technique.