Design of microspheres and microbubbles for environmental chemical/biological optical sensing

An exhaustive model for designing microsphere and microbubble sensing set-ups is illustrated. The computer code is validated via the comparison of the simulation with the experiment. The considered system employs a pair of identical LPGs with a fiber taper in between. The microsphere and microbubble resonators are coupled via the tapered fiber. The pair of identical LPGs allow multiple selective coupling and interrogation of both microresonators by using the same optical link. A good agreement between experimental and simulated results is found. The computer code can be used to design and refine novel set-ups for sensing and to predict the sensing characteristics at different wavelengths and for different chemical/biological contaminants.