Fiber optic humidity sensors for high-energy physics applications at CERN

This work is devoted to a feasibility analysis for the development of novel fiber optic humidity sensors to be applied in high-energy physics (HEP) applications and in particular in experiments actually running at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). On this line of argument and due to the wide investigations carried out in the last years aimed to assess the radiation hardness capability of fiber optic technology in high energy physics environments, our multidisciplinary research group has been recently engaged in the development of near-field fiber optic sensors based on particle layers of tin dioxide to perform the monitoring of low values of relative humidity RH even at low temperatures. While this sensor type has been successfully employed for ppm and sub-ppm chemical detection in air and water environments, it is the first reported use for relative humidity measurements. The RH sensing performance of fabricated probes was analyzed during a deep experimental campaign carried out in the laboratories of CERN, in Genève. A very good agreement was observed between humidity measurements provided by the optical fiber sensors and commercial polymer-based hygrometers at 20 °C and 0 °C, with limits of detection for low RH regimes below 0.1%.