Microfiber Bragg grating hydrogen sensor base on co-sputtered Pd/Ni composite film

A novel hydrogen sensor based on Pd/Ni co-sputtered coating on micro fiber Bragg grating (MFBG) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The microfiber is stretched uniformly and the Bragg grating is directly inscribed on the microfiber without hydrogen loading using 193 nm ArF excimer laser and a phase mask. Palladium and nickel coatings are co-sputtered on the micro fiber Bragg grating for hydrogen sensing. The MFBG hydrogen sensors are characterized concerning their response to the hydrogen, ambient temperature and ambient refractive index, respectively. The performance of the proposed MFBG hydrogen sensor is obviously enhanced, especially when compared to standard FBG hydrogen sensors.