Lossy mode resonances can be obtained in the transmission spectrum of cladding removed multimode optical fiber coated with a thin-film. The sensitivity of these devices to changes in the properties of the coating or the surrounding medium can be optimized by means of the adequate parameterization of the coating refractive index, the coating thickness, and the surrounding medium refractive index. Some basic rules of design, which enable the selection of the best parameters for each specific sensing application, are indicated in this work.

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A comparative study of lossy mode resonances generated by depositing two different materials is presented. The two materials selected are Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and Indium Oxide. Both materials present different dielectric dispersion, which leads to the generation of single-peak lossy mode resonances with ITO coated optical fibers and dual-peak lossy mode resonances with the In2O3 coated optical fibers. The obvious advantage of a dual peak based measurement in the sensors field is enhanced by a sensitivity increase observed in sensors based on In2O3 if compared with those based on ITO. These characteristics are analyzed both theoretically and experimentally.

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This review considers the case for using artificial photosynthesis to make solar fuels. The conceptual framework on which this idea is based is described. Photosynthesis is broken down into four partial reactions. Each one is described and progress in mimicking each of these is discussed. Finally, the current major barriers to achieving working systems based on artificial photosynthesis capable of making solar fuels are highlighted.

The measurement of chemical and biomedical parameters can take advantage of the features exclusively offered by optical fibre: passive nature, electromagnetic immunity and chemical stability are some of the most relevant ones. The small dimensions of the fibre generally require that the sensing material be loaded into a supporting matrix whose morphology is adjusted at a nanometric scale. Thanks to the advances in nanotechnology new deposition methods have been developed: they allow reagents from different chemical nature to be embedded into films with a thickness always below a few microns that also show a relevant aspect ratio to ensure a high transduction interface. This review reveals some of the main techniques that are currently been employed to develop this kind of sensors, describing in detail both the resulting supporting matrices as well as the sensing materials used. The main objective is to offer a general view of the state of the art to expose the main challenges and chances that this technology is facing currently.

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