ZnO nanostructure-enhanced tapered polymer optical fiber sensors for pH detection

Haroon, Hazura and Roslizar, Ahmad Muzammil and Idris@Othman, Siti Khadijah and Abdul Razak, Hanim and Salehuddin, Fauziyah and Mohd Zain, Anis Suhaila and Juhari, Nurjuliana (2025) ZnO nanostructure-enhanced tapered polymer optical fiber sensors for pH detection. Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials, Rapid Communications, 19 (5-6). pp. 245-250. ISSN 1842-6573

Text 0036406102025122642268.pdf Download (957kB)

Abstract

This study presents an experimental investigation of tapered polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors enhanced with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures for improved pH detection. Both ZnO-coated and uncoated POFs were fabricated and characterized to evaluate the effects of surface modification and probe length on sensing performance. The sensors were exposed to pH solutions ranging from 2 to 8, and their optical responses were assessed through variations in refractive index, output power, and voltage. Results indicate that ZnO-coated POFs exhibit enhanced sensitivity compared to uncoated fibers, with the 4 cm coated sensor achieving the highest sensitivity of 0.0464 V/pH and a linearity of 98.30%. The ZnO coating improved the evanescent field interaction by altering the refractive index profile, resulting in greater responsiveness to pHinduced optical changes. These findings highlight the potential of ZnO-coated tapered POFs for high-performance, low-cost pH sensing in biomedical and environmental applications.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fiber optic sensor, Plastic optical fiber, Tapered plastic optical fiber, Optical sensor, pH sensor
Divisions:	Faculty Of Electronics And Computer Technology And Engineering
Depositing User:	Norfaradilla Idayu Ab. Ghafar
Date Deposited:	23 Feb 2026 03:13
Last Modified:	23 Feb 2026 03:13
URI:	http://eprints.utem.edu.my/id/eprint/29528
Statistic Details:	View Download Statistic

Actions (login required)

View Item