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Environmental monitoring such as Detection and quantification for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and water quality monitoring are very important to improve the quality of life. For example, VOCs are commonly exhausted gases by industry or cars which can be inhaled, with potential adverse health effects to human being. Ammonium is one of the primary pollutants in surface and ground waters which can be easily converted to ammonia, which is toxic to animals, ranging from microorganisms to more differentiated life forms. 

While existing methods have proved useful, such methods have a number of significant limitations, for example lack of ability for real time monitoring and limited geographical range, which are main challenges for environmental monitoring. Fiber optic sensors have a number of intrinsic advantages such as real-time monitoring capability, the potential for long distance operation and environmental ruggedness and hence are ideal candidates for environmental monitoring. 

This project seeks to develop a novel optical fibre interferometer based biochemical sensor used for environmental monitoring, which is more sensitive, easier to fabricate and more robust compared to conventional fiber optic sensors. The project will firstly involve developing a novel high sensitivity refractive index (RI) sensor. Secondly various functional coatings on the developed RI sensor will be investigated to realize the selective sensing of environmental pollutions. 

Principle Supervisor:

Dr. Qiang Wu (Lecturer
Department: Physics and Electrical Engineering)

Co-Supervisor:

Dr. Wai Pang Ng(Reader of Optical Communications
Department: Physics and Electrical Engineering)