Remote displacement measurement using a passive interferometer with a fiber-optic link

All-optical, thermo-optical path length modulation based on the vanadium-doped fibers

This paper presents an all-fiber, fully-optically controlled, optical-path length modulator based on highly absorbing optical fiber. The modulator utilizes a high-power 980 nm pump diode and a short section of vanadium-co-doped single mode fiber that is heated through absorption and a non-radiative relaxation process. The achievable path length modulation range primarily depends on the pump's power and the convective heat-transfer coefficient of the surrounding gas, while the time response primarily depends on the heated fiber's diameter. An absolute optical length change in excess of 500 µm and a time-constant as short as 11 ms, were demonstrated experimentally. The all-fiber design allows for an electrically-passive and remote operation of the modulator. The presented modulator could find use within various fiber-optics systems that require optical (remote) path length control or modulation.

Tunable optical-path correlator for distributed strain or temperature-sensing application

Based on a cavity-length tunable fiber-loop resonator, a multibeam optical path difference is generated. It can be used to match and correlate the reflective signals from the partial reflective ends of each sensing fiber gauge. The correlation signals correspond to the sensing gauge lengths, and the shift of the correlation peak is related with the fiber sensing gauge elongation caused by strain or temperature. Therefore, it can be used to measure distributed strain or deformation for smart structural monitoring.

Tunable Fabry-Perot-resonator-based fiber-optic white-light interferometric sensor array

A tunable Fabry-Perot-resonator-based fiber-optic white-light interferometric quasi-distributed sensing system permitting absolute length measurement in a remote reflective sensor array is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor reflective signals characteristics have been analyzed, and the relationship between light signal intensities and sensors number was given for multiplexing potential evaluation. The proposed sensing scheme will be useful for the measurement of strain distribution. An important application could be deformation sensing in smart structures. Experimentally, a four-sensor array has been demonstrated.

Fabry-Perot optical binary switch for aircraft applications

An optical binary switch for aircraft applications is demonstrated. A fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) bonded to a cantilever is used as the sensing element. A white-light interferometry system with two bulk Michelson interferometers sharing the same motor-driven translation stage is utilized to monitor the elongation of the FFPI. The system exhibits excellent linearity as a force sensor; the experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical calculated values. With a properly set threshold value, the system produces a binary output.

Schemes of a fiber-optic multiplexing sensor array based on a 3 X 3 star coupler

A Michelson-based fiber-optic low-coherence interferometric quasi-distributed sensing system permitting absolute length measurement in a sensor array is proposed. The main part of the sensing system is a fiberoptic 3 x 3 star coupler. The architecture of fiber-optic sensors can be easily realized as a linear sensor array, twin sensor arrays, or a loop sensor array. The proposed sensing scheme will be useful for the measurement of strain distribution. An important application could be deformation sensing in smart structures. A six-sensor array is demonstrated experimentally.

Low-coherence Michelson interferometric fiber-optic multiplexed strain sensor array: a minimum configuration

A minimum configuration Michelson fiber-optic low-coherence interferometric quasi-distributed sensing system is proposed that permits absolute length measurement in remote reflective sensor arrays. The sensor's reflective signal characteristics have been analyzed, and the relationship between intensities of light and number of sensors is given for evaluation of multiplexing potential. The proposed sensing scheme will be useful for the measurement of strain distribution. An important application may be strain monitoring in smart structures. Experimentally, four-sensor array has been demonstrated.

Monitoring and multiplexing technique for interferometric fiber optic sensors with a linearly chirped Er:fiber laser

The monitoring of interferometer fiber optic sensors using a laser that is scanned over a wide frequency range is investigated. The interrogation technique is based on the principle that if the light-source frequency varies linearly with time, the optical signal reflected or transmitted is intensity modulated at a frequency that is proportional to the optical path difference (OPD) in the interferometer. Fourier components in the detected optical output signal then correspond to the OPDs of any interferometers that have contributed to this modulation. The temporal position of a peak in the power spectrum of this signal is proportional to the OPD of the interferometer that is responsible for that peak. A fine tuning of the OPD value is determined from the phase of the corresponding Fourier component. Experimentally, an Er:fiber laser scanned over a 48-nm range centered at 1540 nm was used to monitor intrinsic fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers (FFPIs). Variations in the laser scan rate were compensated with the optical signal modulated by a reference FFPI held at a constant temperature. The OPD measurement resolution was 3.6 nm, and the dynamic range was 1.3 x 10(7). The temperature was measured from 20 degrees C to 610 degrees C with a 0.02 degrees C resolution, and multiplexing of three of the sensors arranged in series was demonstrated.

Multiplexed fiber Fabry-Perot temperature sensor system using white-light interferometry

A novel monitoring system for a fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) temperature sensor has yielded a resolution of 0.013 degrees C (0.0025 fringe). Light from a broadband source passes through a scanned Michelson interferometer and is reflected from a FFPI to produce a fringe pattern, the temporal position of which is proportional to a change in the optical length of the fiber interferometer. A second Michelson interferometer with a distributed-feedback laser source is used to correct for variations in the translation rate of the motor-driven scanning mirror. Coherence multiplexing of three such sensors has also been demonstrated.

Optical coherence-domain reflectometry: a new optical evaluation technique

An optical evaluation technique is described that is suitable for determining the positions and magnitudes of reflection sites within miniature optical assemblies. This method utilizes the coherence effects exhibited by a broadband optical source and is referred to as optical coherence-domain reflectometry. Background theory is given, and experimental results have demonstrated a resolution of 10 microm with an optical dynamic range of more than 100 dB.