Patent ID: 8548282

Claim:
A fiber-inline MZI device for temperature sensing or refractive index (RI) sensing, the device comprising: a section of a single core Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) formed of a silica material, the PCF having at least two air holes infiltrated with a liquid analyte to form at least two waveguide channels, the liquid analyte forming rods within the PCF; wherein the rods form an independent waveguide in the PCF and support rod modes wherein the rod modes are distinct from the core mode transmitted in the PCF; wherein the interference between the rod modes and the core mode leaves an interference fringe pattern in the transmission spectrum generated by the PCF when light is injected into the PCF; and wherein fringe dips in the fringe pattern when tracked over a wide wavelength range are indicative of at least one of the group consisting of the temperature and refractive index.