Abstract
The XENON experiment aims at the direct detection of dark matter in the form of WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) via their elastic scattering off Xenon nuclei. With 1 ton of LXe distributed in ten identical modules, the proposed XENON1T experiment will achieve a sensitivity more than a factor of thousand beyond current limits. The detectors are time projection chambers operated in dual (liquid/gas) phase, to detect simultaneously the ionization, through secondary scintillation in the gas, and primary scintillation in the liquid produced by low energy recoils. We review some of the results from the prototype XENON3 detector and briefly discuss about the status of current XENON10 at Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy.

Abstract
The transmission efficiency of photoelectrons emitted from CsI photocathodes operated in Ar-CH4 and Xe-CH4 mixtures is experimentally investigated and compared to Monte Carlo simulation results: the ratio between the number of photoelectrons collected in the gas media and in vacuum is determined as a function of the pressure-reduced electric field E/p at the photocathode surface, for irradiation with the VUV photons from an Hg(Ar) lamp. The addition of a small percentage of CH4 to At and Xe results in a significant increase of the photoelectron transmission, in particular for electric fields below E/p similar to 1 V cm(-1) Torr(-1). Below E/p similar to 0.5 V cm(-1) Torr(-1) the transmission efficiency f in Ar-CH4 Mixtures reaches values higher than in pure CH4, going through a maximum in the range of 10-30% CH4. The addition of 5% and 20% CH4 to Xe increases f by a factor of about 2 and 3, respectively, when compared to pure Xe.

Abstract
The extraction efficiency f for the photoelectrons emitted from a CsI photocathode into gaseous Xe-CH4 and Ne-CH4 mixtures is investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. The results are compared with earlier calculations in Ar-CH4 mixtures and in the pure gases Xe, Ar, Ne and CH4. The calculations examine the dependence of f on the density-reduced electric field E/N in the 0.1-40 Td range, on the incident photon energy E-ph in the 6.8-9.8 eV (183-127 nm) VUV range and on the mixture composition. Results calculated for irradiation of the photocathode with a Hg(Ar) lamp are compared with experimental measurements for this lamp. To test the electron scattering cross-sections used in the simulations, electron drift parameters in Xe, Ne and their mixtures with CH4 are also presented and compared with available experimental data.

Abstract
A spatial optical filter based on splice misalignment between optical fibers with different diameters is proposed for gas refractometry. The sensing head is formed by a 2 mm long optical fiber with 50 mu m diameter that is spliced with a strong misalignment between two single-mode fibers (SMF28) and interrogated in transmission. The misalignment causes a Fabry-Perot behavior along the reduced-size fiber and depending on the lead-out SMF28 position, it is possible to obtain different spectral responses, namely, bandpass or band-rejection filters. It is shown that the spatial filter device is highly sensitive to refractive index changes on a nitrogen environment by means of the gas pressure variation. A maximum sensitivity of -1390 nm/RIU for the bandpass filter was achieved. Both devices have shown similar temperature responses with an average sensitivity of 25.7 pm/degrees C. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

Abstract
A spatial optical filter based on splice misalignment between optical fibers with different cladding dimensions is proposed for gas refractometry. The sensing head is formed by a 2 mm-long optical fiber with 50 mu m diameter spliced with a strong misalignment between two single mode fibers (SMF28) and interrogated in transmission. This fiber structure causes a Fabry-Perot-behavior along the reduced-size fiber giving at its output end a well defined spatial filtering selectivity. Depending on the misalignment position of the lead-out SMF28, it is possible to obtain two different spectral responses, namely, bandpass or band-rejection filters. It is shown that this filter device is highly sensitive to refractive index changes on a nitrogen (N-2) environment by means of the gas pressure variation. A maximum sensitivity of -1390 nm/RIU for the bandpass filter was achieved.

Abstract
An interferometer based on a D-shape chaotic optical fiber for measurement of multiparameters was proposed. The sensing structure relied on a D-shape fiber section spliced in between two singlemode fibers and interrogated in transmission. The optical spectrum was composed by multiple interference loss peaks, which were sensitive to the refractive index, temperature and strain-maximum sensitivities of 95.2 nm/RIU, 10.5 pm/ and -3.51 pm/µe, respectively, could be achieved. © The Author(s) 2012.