• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.145-150
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• 2023

Non-uniform optical taper waveguides have been widely used as devices for high-efficiency mode coupling, as they are integrated with single-mode optical fibers or photonic crystal waveguides. In this paper, we present a new platform for chemical sensing and bio-sensing using optical taper waveguides with these characteristics. The principle of operation is based on the coupling efficiency and interference properties of optical directional coupler (DC) and multi-mode interference coupler (MMIC). First, the curvature characteristics of taper sections of DC and MMIC is explained, and the design specifications of optimized taper waveguide to increase waveguide sensitivity is selected. Next, the sensor response to the change in refractive index of sensing analyte is numerically analyzed. Numerical results show that as the length of couplers increases, the effective index per change in refractive index unit (RIU) of analyte increases, and that sensitivity can be tuned using taper DC and MMIC design techniques.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.391-396
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• 2006

Free-standing multilayer distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) porous silicon dielectric mirrors, prepared by electrochemical etching of crystalline silicon using square wave currents are treated with polystyrene to produce flexible, stable composite materials in which the porous silicon matrix is covered with caffeine-impregnated polystyrene. Optically encoded DBR PSi/polystyrene composite films retain the optical reflectivity. Optical characteristics of DBR PSi/polystyrene composite films are stable and robust for 2 hrs in a pH=7 aqueous buffer solution. The appearance of caffeine and change of DBR peak were simultaneously measured by UV-vis spectrometer and Ocean optics 2000 spectrometer, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.249-254
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• 2019

An optical current sensor device that measures electric current by the principle of the Faraday effect was designed and fabricated. The polarization-rotated reflection interferometer and the quadrature phase interferometer were introduced so as to improve the operational stability. Complex structures containing diverse optical components were integrated in a polymeric optical integrated circuit and manufactured in a small size. This structure allows sensing operation without extra bias feedback control, and reduces the phase change due to environmental temperature changes and vibration. However, the Verdet constant, which determines the Faraday effect, still exhibits an inherent temperature dependence. In this work, we tried to eliminate the residual temperature dependence of the optical current sensor based on polarization-rotated reflection interferometry. By varying the length of the fiber-optic wave plate, which is one of the optical components of the interferometer, we could compensate for the temperature dependence of the Verdet constant. The proposed optical current sensor exhibited measurement errors maintained within 0.2% over a temperature range, from 25℃ to 85℃.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.8.1-8.1
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• 2011

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) materials have been widely used as an electron collector in DSSC. This is required to have an extremely high porosity and surface area such that the dye can be sufficiently adsorbed and be electronically interconnected, resulting in the generation of a high photocurrent within cells. In particular, their geometrical structures and crystalline phase have been extensively investigated as important issues in improving its photovoltaic efficiency. In this study, we present a new strategy to fabricate a photoelectrode having a periodic structured $TiO_2$ film templated from 1D or 3D polystyrene (PS) microspheres array. Monodisperse PS spheres of various radiuses were used for colloidal array on FTO glasses and two types of photoelectrode structures with different $TiO_2$ materials were investigated respectively. One is the igloo-shaped electrode prepared by $TiO_2$ deposition by RF-sputtering onto 2D microsphere-templated substrates. At the interface between the film and substrate, there are voids formed by the decomposition of PS microspheres during the calcination step. These holes might be expected to play the predominant roles as scattering spherical voids to promote a light harvesting effect, a spacious structure for electrolytes with higher viscosity and effective paths for electron transfer. Additionally the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ phase prepared by the RF-sputtering method was previously reported to improve the electron drift mobility within $TiO_2$ electrodes. This yields solar cells with a cell efficiency of 2.45% or more at AM 1.5 illumination, which is a very remarkable result, considering its $TiO_2$ electrode thickness (<2 ${\mu}m$). This study can be expanded to obtain higher cell efficiency by higher dye loading through the increase of surface area or multi-layered stacking. The other is the inverse opal photonic crystal electrode prepared by titania particles infusion within 3D colloidal arrays. To obtain the enlargement of ordered area and high quality of crystallinity, the synthesis of titania particles coated with a organic thin layer were applied instead of sol-gel process using the $TiO_2$ precursors. They were dispersed so well in most solvents without aggregates and infused successfully within colloidal array structures. This ordered mesoporous structure provides the large surface area leading to the enough adsorption of dye molecules and have an light harvesting effect due to the photonic band gap properties (back-and-forth reflection effects within structures). A major advantage of this colloidal array template method is that the pore size and its distribution within $TiO_2$ photoelectrodes are determined by those of latex beads, which can be controlled easily. These materials may have promising potentials for future applications of membrane, sensor and so on as well as solar cells.