Abstract

Here we numerically demonstrate a straightforward method for optical detection of hydrogen gas by means of absorption reduction and colorimetric indication. A perfectly absorbing metal-insulator-metal (MIM) thin film interference structure is constructed using a silver metal back reflector, silicon dioxide insulator, and palladium as the upper metal layer and hydrogen catalyst. The thickness of silicon dioxide allows the maximizing of the electric field intensity at the $\mathrm{Air}/{\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ interface at the quarter wavelengths and enabling perfect absorption with the help of highly absorptive palladium thin film $(\sim 7\mathrm{nm})$. While the exposure of the MIM structure to ${\mathrm{H}}_2$ moderately increases reflection, the relative intensity contrast due to formation of metal hydride is extensive. By modifying the insulator film thickness and hence the spectral absorption, the color is tuned and eye-visible results are obtained.

© 2016 Optical Society of America

Colorimetric detection of ultrathin dielectrics on strong interference coatings

Sencer Ayas, Gokhan Bakan, Erol Ozgur, Kemal Celebi, Gamze Torunoglu, and Aykutlu Dana
Opt. Lett. 43(6) 1379-1382 (2018)

Palladium-coated plasmonic optical fiber gratings for hydrogen detection

Shunshuo Cai, Álvaro González-Vila, Xuejun Zhang, Tuan Guo, and Christophe Caucheteur
Opt. Lett. 44(18) 4483-4486 (2019)

Sagnac interferometer hydrogen sensor based on panda fiber with Pt-loaded WO₃/SiO₂ coating

Ben Xu, C. L. Zhao, Fan Yang, Huaping Gong, D. N. Wang, JiXiang Dai, and Minghong Yang
Opt. Lett. 41(7) 1594-1597 (2016)

UiO-66 MOF end-face-coated optical fiber in aqueous contaminant detection

Marziyeh Nazari, Mohammad Ali Forouzandeh, Chamath M. Divarathne, Fotios Sidiroglou, Marta Rubio Martinez, Kristina Konstas, Benjamin W. Muir, Anita J. Hill, Mikel C. Duke, Matthew R. Hill, and Stephen F. Collins
Opt. Lett. 41(8) 1696-1699 (2016)

Broadband and wide-angle light harvesting by ultra-thin silicon solar cells with partially embedded dielectric spheres

Zhenhai Yang, Aixue Shang, Linling Qin, Yaohui Zhan, Cheng Zhang, Pingqi Gao, Jichun Ye, and Xiaofeng Li
Opt. Lett. 41(7) 1329-1332 (2016)