Reflectivity enhanced refractive index sensor based on a fiber-integrated Fabry-Perot microresonator

We discuss a fiber-integrated refractive index sensor with strongly improved detection performance. The resonator has been implemented by means of focused-ion beam milling of a step index fiber and shows a sensitivity of about 1.15 mu m/RIU. Coating the resonator walls led to a strongly improved mirror reflectivity by a factor of about 26. Design rules for device optimization and a detailed mathematical analysis are discussed, revealing that the sensor operates as an optimized Fabry-Perot resonator. We also show that the performance of such kind of Fabry-Perot sensors is, in general, limited by the detection limit function - a quantity depending on the cavitiy's finesse and on the measurement capabilities used. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America