A microfiber temperature sensor based on fluorescence lifetime

We demonstrate micro/nanofiber temperature sensors based on micro/nano particles fluorescence lifetime. Dependence of the fluorescence intensity, branching ratio and lifetime on temperature are investigated from 30°to 210°. Compared with the intensity-based micro sensors, the lifetime-based micro sensors perform better in terms of accuracy, stability, and response speed. Precision of the proposed temperature sensor is obtained as high as 2°in the temperature range of 30°to 210°. This lifetime-based sensing technology won't be affected by external deformation of the sensors, proving it is a temperature selective sensor enabling eliminating interference of surrounding environment and background noise. Experiments and simulations show that response time of the micro sensor can be 50-100 times faster than that of conventional sensors.