Abstract

This paper presents a simple and novel, to the best of our knowledge, methodology towards enhancement of the refractive index sensitivity of the single-fiber (SF) Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) configuration, post-fabrication, over a relatively large range from 1.3344 RIU to 1.4532 RIU. A SF-MZI configuration, fabricated indigenously by non-adiabatic tapering of the silica fiber at two places separated by a distance of ${\sim}\;{3.6}\;{\rm cm}$, is sensitized with induced birefringence by keeping weights on its interference region. By sensitizing the configuration, its refractive index (RI) sensitivity is enhanced from 20.24 nm/RIU to 84.68 nm/RIU, post-fabrication, validating the theoretical predictions. The proposed process for enhancing the RI sensitivity of the SF-MZI, presented for the first time, shall be useful for many applications.

© 2020 Optical Society of America

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