Review on Optical Fiber Sensors Based on the Refractive Index Tunability of Ferrofluid

Ferrofluid is a novel kind of functional materials, which possesses both the magnetism of solid magnetic material and fluidity of liquid material. Due to its unique optical properties, especially the refractive index tunability under magnetic field, ferrofluid has been widely utilized for magnetic f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of lightwave technology 2017-08, Vol.35 (16), p.3406-3412
Main Authors: Zhao, Yong, Liu, Xu, Lv, Ri-Qing, Zhang, Ya-Nan, Wang, Qi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Current measurement
ferrofluid
Ferrofluids
Magnetic field measurement
magnetic field sensors
Magnetic fields
Magnetic liquids
Magnetic properties
magnetic-optical property
Magnetism
Optical fiber sensors
Optical properties
Refractive index
Refractivity
Sensors
Viscosity
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Summary:Ferrofluid is a novel kind of functional materials, which possesses both the magnetism of solid magnetic material and fluidity of liquid material. Due to its unique optical properties, especially the refractive index tunability under magnetic field, ferrofluid has been widely utilized for magnetic field and current sensing combined with various optical fiber structures. Hence, in this paper, the refractive index tunability of ferrofluid, which is mainly applied into the optical fiber sensors, is first reviewed and illustrated in detail. Then we mainly introduce our work on the applications of ferrofluid in optical fiber sensors based on the refractive index tunability of ferrofluid, including the whole physical configurations, the operating principles, and the performances of these optical fiber sensors. At last, the deficiencies of ferrofluid in the applications of optical fiber sensors as well as valuable potential prospects in further research are analyzed and presented. From all the above reviews and discussions, it can be foreseen that the characteristics of ferrofluid will be improved and the applications of ferrofluid-based optical fiber sensors will be developed rapidly and maturely.
ISSN:0733-8724
1558-2213
DOI:10.1109/JLT.2016.2573288