Highly Sensitive Photothermal Fiber Sensor Based on MXene Device and Vernier Effect

A photothermal fiber sensor based on a microfiber knot resonator (MKR) and the Vernier effect is proposed and demonstrated. An MXene Ti(3)C(2)T(x) nanosheet was deposited onto the ring of an MKR using an optical deposition method to prepare photothermal devices. An MXene MKR and a bare MKR were used as the sensing part and reference part, respectively, of a Vernier-cascade system. The optical and photothermal properties of the bare MKR and the MXene MKR were tested. Ti(3)C(2)T(x) was applied to a photothermal fiber sensor for the first time. The experimental results showed that the modulation efficiency of the MXene MKR was 0.02 nm/mW, and based on the Vernier effect, the modulation efficiency of the cascade system was 0.15 nm/mW. The sensitivity was amplified 7.5 times. Our all-fiber photothermal sensor has many advantages such as low cost, small size, and good system compatibility. Our sensor has broad application prospects in many fields. The proposed stable MKR device based on two-dimensional-material modification provides a new solution for improving the sensitivity of optical fiber sensors.