Fabrication of intensity based fiber optic pH Sensor

Sarmila BasakA , Shibabrata BasakB,*, Rajesh KumarC and P.K.Samanta B,D

A

Department of Material Science, Jadavpur University, Jadavpur, India.

B

Department of Physics, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.

Department of Physics, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Majitar, Sikkim, India.

D

Ghatal R. S. Mahavidyalaya, Ghatal, Paschim Medinipur,West Bengal,India

Abstract
The present experimental work deals with
fabrication and characterization of
intensity based Optical pH sensor using
evanescent wave absorption.
I. Introduction
Fiber optic sensors offer substantial
benefits as compared to conventional
sensors [1-2]. Among all the fiber optic
sensors perhaps the most investigated is
fiber optic pH sensor because the
requirement of continuous monitoring of
pH in practically in all kinds of sciences
mainly in chemical, biomedical and
environmental research [3]. In this paper
we present an easy, cost effective fiber
optic pH sensor using evanescent wave
absorption.
II. Experimental
Preparation of fiber: To remove the
cladding from the middle part of the
optical fiber by first dipping it to
sulphoxide dimethyl (DMSO) solution and
put over the water bath for 45 minutes.
Then cladding is removed from the middle
part mechanically. The fiber is cleaned for
further modification.
Preparation of the coating solution: 7 gm
PVA, 0.269 gm methyl red and 50ml deionized water is added and the solution is
kept at 100O C temperature for 90 minutes
*Corresponding author: basak.shibabrata@gmail.com

kept at 1000C temperature for 90 minutes

and left it overnight for cooling.
Coating of the fiber: The unclad portion of
the fiber is dipped into the prepared
solution for 10 minutes and the fiber is
rotated slowly for 10 minutes keeping the
fiber in vertical position. The fiber is then
dried and cleaned. This newly coated
region has refractive index more than the
core of the fiber.
Optical arrangement for characterization of
the sensor: Light from He-Ne laser (632.8
nm) is launched into the fiber whose
modified region is kept in the pH solution.
Transmitted light intensity is measured by
optical power meter attached at the other
end. A pH electrode is dipped into the pH
solution to measure the pH of the solution.
For further understanding some glass
slides after cleaning dipped into the
cladding solution for 10 minutes and kept
in vertical position for 10 minutes to drain
the excess solution. Then slides are then
dried and dipped into different pH solution
and absorption intensity is checked using a
Shimadzu2450UV-Vis spectrophotometer
in the wavelength range of 350 nm to 800
nm.
III. Result and discussion
The variation of the transmitted power
with pH is shown in fig-2 and fig 3 shows
the variation of the absorption intensity(for
the glass slide) at 632.8 nm in different pH
value. The absorption is lowest for pH 4.2
and highest for pH 6.0 where the modified

6.0
5.5

Output Intensity ( W)

5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
4.0

4.2

4.4

4.6

4.8

5.0

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6.0

6.2

pH

Fig 2: Variation of output light intensity with pH.

Absorption
(A.U.)

region is red and yellow respectively. At a

lower pH value, the incident light and the
modified region are both red so absorption
is least in the modified region resulting
highest transmitted power and then at
some higher pH value the modified region
slowly turns into yellow and at pH 6.0 the
modified region is completely yellow the
transmitted power is least. This is due to
the fact that red colour object absorbs all
colours light but red light and red and
yellow are complementary colour.

4.0

4.2

4.4

4.6

4.8

5.0

5.2

5.4

5.6

5.8

6.0

6.2

pH

Fig 3: Variation of absorption at 632.8nm for

different pH

Fig 4 shows the absorption spectra of the

cladding solution in different pH value
which shows maximum variation of
absorption at 434 nm. So if one use 434nm

.Fig 4: UV-visible absorption spectroscopy in

different pH.

IV. Conclusion
A simple, low cost fiber optic pH sensor
based on evanescent wave absorption is
demonstrated.
V. Acknowledgment
Authors are grateful to Dr Sanjoy Dahal
for important suggestions.
References
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