Design and performance analysis of alcohols sensing using photonic crystal fiber in terahertz spectrum

This research suggests an optical sensor to detect alcohol in beverages and liquids that is based on Zeonex backdrop material. The core of the sensor is made up of six hexahedron-shaped cores and heptagonal cladding with circular air holes. The development and implementation of a limited element evaluation to assess the sensing capabilities of sensor technology using PCF were executed using the COMSOL Multiphysics software. With negligible confinement losses, a highly sensitive H-PCF structure has been proposed for the THz range. With sensitivities of 89.50 %, 91.80 %, and 90.81 %, respectively, at the monitoring region of 1 THz, it can detect three distinct alcohols, including ethanol, butanol, and propanol. At a monitoring frequency of 1 THz, the confinement losses for the first alcohol are 5.45 × 10⁻⁰⁸ dB/m, the second alcohol is 6.01 × 10⁻⁰⁸ dB/m, and the third alcohol is 5.60 × 10⁻⁰⁸ dB/m. Furthermore, the essential graphical representations of additional optical properties, including the effective mode index, effective area, and total power fraction, are extensively examined. Thus, it is evident that this sensor could be utilized to detect alcohol in a variety of environments, given that terahertz (THz) wave pulses are commonly employed in both chemical processes and the food and beverage industries.