INFLUENCE OF CHLORINE ON PLANAR OPTICAL GUIDE CLADDED WITH RBCL AND AGCL

Thin films of RbCl and AgCl are prepared using vacuum evaporation tech nique and are characterized for Cl-2 effect through a number of techni ques like XRD analysis, optical absorption and ellipsometry measuremen ts. The time-series characterization with these techniques do show the expected differences with alternate pulsed chlorine and ambient air e xposures. These are used as sensitive films on planar optical waveguid e for Cl-2 gas. It is observed that, as cladding, they possess very go od and selective chlorine sensing behaviour in ambient air over a wide concentration range of few (3) ppm-1.5%. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B. V.