Fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining for refractive index measurement with high sensitivity

Abstract

We report a compact fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer for refractive index sensing with high sensitivity and precise sensing location. One arm of the interferometer contains a microcavity formed by removing part of the fiber core near the core and cladding interface by femtosecond laser micromachining, and the other arm remains in line with the remaining part of the fiber core. Such a fiber in-line Mach-Zehnder interferometer exhibits an extremely high refractive-index-sensitivity of −9370 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) within the refractive index range between 1.31 and 1.335.