Laser-Induced Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes in Fiber Optic Tips of MMI Devices

Abstract

The integration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into optical fibers allows the application of their unique properties in robust and versatile devices. Here, we present a laser-induced technique to obtain the deposition of CNTs onto the fiber optics tips of multimode interference (MMI) devices. An MMI device is constructed by splicing a section of no-core fiber (NCF) to a single-mode fiber (SMF). The tip of the MMI device is immersed into a liquid solution of CNTs and laser light is launched into the MMI device. CNTs solutions using water and methanol as solvents were tested. In addition, the use of a polymer dispersant polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the CNTs solutions was also studied. We found that the laser-induced deposition of CNTs performed in water-based solutions generates non-uniform deposits. On the other hand, the laser-induced deposition performed with methanol solutions generates uniform deposits over the fiber tip when no PVP is used and deposition at the center of the fiber when PVP is present in the CNTs solution. The results show the crucial role of the solvent on the spatial features of the laser-induced deposition process. Finally, we register and study the reflection spectra of the as-fabricated CNTs deposited MMI devices.

Special Issue “Fiber Optic Sensors and Applications”: An Overview

“…In "Laser-Induced Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes in Fiber Optic Tips of MMI Devices" [6], a laser-induced technique was developed to obtain the deposition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the fiber optics tips of multimode interference (MMI) devices. The laser-induced deposition of CNTs performed in water-based solutions generated nonuniform deposits, while the laser-induced deposition performed with methanol solutions generated uniform deposits over the fiber tip, indicating the crucial role of the solvent on the spatial features of the laser-induced deposition process.…”

Torsional Dynamics of Axially Graded Viscoelastic Carbon Nanotubes

“…With its superior physical properties, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are strong candidate for the extreme engineering problems which were considered as impossible with traditional materials. To enhance the fiber optic capability in nano scale, CNTs are the best candidate and in several research [1][2][3], they have been used on optical fibers.…”

Deterministic Transfer of Large-Scale β-Phase Arsenic on Fiber End Cap for Near-Infrared Ultrafast Pulse Generation

“…Researchers are looking for reliable ways to place the nanomaterials at the fiber core, such as a special platform with a small area. The scotch tape-assisted approach, light-induced deposition method, end-to-end self-assembly, and embedding the layered materials in transparent polymer were reported (Lee et al, 2016;Rusdi et al, 2016;Hu et al, 2017;Cuando-Espitia et al, 2019). However, nanoflake accurate transfer is still a huge challenge.…”