Effects of fibre grating parameters on the spectral characteristics of cascaded long- and short-period gratings

Using coupled-mode theory combined with the transfer matrix method, this paper presents the impact of fibre grating parameters(grating period, grating length and average index modulation) and the separation between long-period fibre grating and fibre Bragg grating (FBG) on the reflection spectra of cascaded long-and short-period grating (CLBG). Two grating periods and two grating lengths have only impact on the two reflection peaks. The two resonance wavelengths shift towards the longer wavelength when the period of FBG decreases. Further, we study the sensing characteristics of coated CLBG. By analysing the relationship between the refractive index sensitivity and the thin film parameters (film refractive index and film thickness), the optimized parameters for the coated CLBG used as film sensor were obtained. Data simulation shows that the resolution of the refractive index of this coated CLBG film sensor is predicted to be 10^?6. This implies that the coated CLBG has an important application value in sensing and measurement field.     

保偏微结构光纤光栅 F-P腔折射率传感特性分析

针对提高光纤光栅折射率传感器抗干扰能力以及增加反射率的需求,本文提出了一种基于Fabry-Perot腔的保偏微结构光纤(PM-MOF)布拉格光栅折射率传感器.根据传榆矩阵法和有限元方法,分析了微结构光纤光栅F-P腔中被测物折射率与F-P腔反射谱中两个偏振模谐振波长差的关系,在此基础上讨论了中心孔直径、F-P腔长度等参数对传输特性的影响.研究结果表明,随着空气孔中填充物折射率的增加,保偏微结构光纤光栅F-P腔的两个偏振态的谐振波长差将逐渐减小;F-P腔的干涉作用使反射率较单个光栅有很大提高,便于长距离传输和实时解调;两个偏振模对外界干扰具有相似的响应,因此该传感器具有更强的抗干扰能力.本文研究结果为保偏微结构光纤光栅在折射率传感器及其生物传感器方面的应用提供了理论依据.     

Integrated microinterferometric sensor for in-plane displacement measurement

We present an integrated sensor based on a grating interferometer (GI) for in-plane displacement measurement in microregions of large engineering structures. The system concept and design, based on a monolithic version of Czarnek's GI, is discussed in detail. The technology chain of the GI measurement head (MH), including the master fabrication and further replication by means of hot embossing, is described. The numerical analyses of the MH by means of geometric ray tracing and scalar wave propagation are provided. They allow us to determine geometrical tolerance values as well as refractive index homogeneity and nonflatness of MH working surfaces, which provide proper beam guiding. Finally the demonstrative measurement performed with a model of the sensor is presented.     

基于双模LPFG折射率不敏感双参量传感器

环境折射率和环境温度变化是影响光纤应变测量误差的主要因素.本文利用双模光纤纤芯双模式(LP01和LP11)支持特性设计了一款环境折射率不敏感的双模光纤(DMF)长周期光纤光栅LPFG)应变传感器.设计了传感器模型结构,制作了最优化参数的传感器样品.实验测试了DMF-LPFG传感结构对外部环境中应变、温度和折射率的响应....     

Thinned fiber Bragg gratings as refractive index sensors

In this work, highly sensitive refractive index measurements have been experimentally demonstrated by using thinned fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. When the cladding diameter is reduced, significant changes in the effective refractive index occur due to surrounding medium refractive index modifications, leading to Bragg wavelength shifts. Uniformly thinned FBGs have been obtained by using wet chemical etching in hydrofluoric acid solutions. In order to prove sensor sensitivity, experimental tests have been carried out by using glycerine solutions with well-known refractive indices. Obtained results agree well with the numerical analysis carried out by using the three-layer fiber model. If the cladding layer is completely removed, resolutions of /spl ap/10/sup -5/ and /spl ap/10/sup -4/ for the outer refractive index around 1.450 and 1.333, respectively, are possible. Finally, a novel approach based on the selective etching along the grating region has been analyzed, leading to high-sensitivity refractive index sensors based on intensity measurements.     

Long-period grating refractive index sensor with a modified cladding structure for large operational range and high sensitivity

What is believed to be a novel long-period grating (LPG) refractive index sensor with a modified cladding structure is proposed and studied. In the proposed structure, the cladding of the fiber has a two-layer structure, i.e., a cladding layer of low refractive index with a reduced radius and an overlay of high refractive index. The sensitivity of the structure-modified LPG sensor to the ambient refractive index change as a function of the cladding layer and overlay parameters is investigated by way of modeling. It is found that an increase of the ambient refractive index causes a field redistribution of the cladding mode into the overlay when the parameters of the overlay are properly selected. It is shown that by reducing the radius of the cladding layer, the operational range of the LPG refractive index sensor can be as large as 0.195 (from 1.244 to 1.440) with a minimum sensitivity of 660 nm/refractive index, which represents a 31% increase of operational range in comparison with the operational range obtained from the reported structure. The design guidelines for achieving this large operation range and high sensitivity are explained by investigating the dependence of the cladding modes on the radius of the cladding layer.     

A miniaturized sensor consisting of concentric metallic nanorings on the end facet of an optical fiber

A polarization-independent optical sensor is created by fabricating a concentric gold ring grating with a period of 900 nm on the end facet of an optical fiber. The sensing function of this miniaturized device is realized by sending white light as a probe to the gold rings and collecting the response signal in the back-reflection through the optical fiber. A pronounced peak due to the Rayleigh anomaly of the gold ring grating is observed in the reflection spectrum, the center wavelength of which is sensitive to the change in the environmental refractive index of the fiber end facet. Theoretical analysis not only shows excellent agreement with the experimental results, but also gives insights into the mechanisms of this kind of sensor. Using the center position of the Rayleigh peak as the response signal, a high sensitivity dλ/dn of 900 nm per unity refractive index is realized for this sensor and a resolution of Δn/n ≈ 1% is demonstrated in preliminary experiments. The sensitivity is solely determined by the period of the grating.     

Color Generation and Refractive Index Sensing Using Diffraction from 2D Silicon Nanowire Arrays

Tunable structural color generation from vertical silicon nanowires arranged in different square lattices is demonstrated. The generated colors are adjustable using well‐defined Bragg diffraction theory, and only depend on the lattice spacing and angles of incidence. Vivid colors spanning from bright red to blue are easily achieved. In keeping with this, a single square lattice of silicon nanowires is also able to produce different colors spanning the entire visible range. It is also shown that the 2D gratings also have a third grating direction when rotated 45 degrees. These simple and elegant solutions to color generation from silicon are used to demonstrate a cost‐effective refractive index sensor. The sensor works by measuring color changes resulting from changes in the refractive index of the medium surrounding the nanowires using a trichromatic RGB decomposition. Moreover, the sensor produces linear responses in the trichromatic decomposition values versus the surrounding medium index. An index resolution of 10^?4 is achieved by performing basic image processing on the collected images, without the need for a laser or a spectrometer. Spectral analysis enables an increase in the index resolution of the sensor to a value of 10^?6, with a sensitivity of 400 nm/RIU.     

基于级联长周期光纤光栅的溶液折射率与浓度的测量研究

级联长周期光纤光栅的谐振峰对外界折射率较敏感,利用该特性制成的折射率传感器可以实现对溶液折射率和浓度的实时在线测量。通过对不同折射率的NaCl溶液和蔗糖溶液的实验研究,得出溶液折射率、浓度与谐振峰之间的关系。实验结果表明: LPGP较为灵敏的外界折射率范围为1~1.4513,在此范围内,随着外界折射率的增加,透射谱干涉峰的幅值逐渐减小而谐振波长逐渐向短波方向漂移。该传感器可应用于生物、化学、过程控制等高灵敏度传感领域的各种溶液进行监控,具有较高的实用价值。     

Fiber Bragg grating flow sensors powered by in-fiber light

This paper presents an active fiber Bragg grating temperature and flow sensor based on self-heated optical hot wire anemometry. The grating sensors are directly powered by optical energy carried by optical fibers. In-fiber diode laser light at 910 nm was leaked out from the fiber and absorbed by the surrounding metallic coating to raise the temperature and change the background refractive index distribution of the gratings. When the diode laser is turned off, the grating is used as a temperature sensor. When the diode laser is turned on, the resonance wavelength and spectral width change of the self-heated grating sensor is used to measure the gas flow velocity. The grating flow sensors have been experimentally evaluated for different grating length and input laser power. The grating flow sensors have demonstrated a 0.35- m/s sensitivity for nitrogen flow at atmosphere pressure.     

LPG-Based PVA Coated Sensor for Relative Humidity Measurement

A long period grating (LPG) coated with polyvinyl alcohol has been developed and evaluated through exposure to a range of relative humidity (RH) levels (from 33%RH to 97%RH). The conditions for the creation of the sensor probes are described and the response of the device in terms of changes in the resonance loss of several of the spectral loss bands has been monitored. In order to make comparative measurements, a noncoated LPG was exposed to various known refractive index (RI) conditions and the grating response was monitored, analyzed and the results evaluated. This is then related to the change in RH when the sensor is exposed to various RH levels, as the coating RI changes, leading to the change in resonance loss. The PVA coated LPG sensor is showing a relatively fast response time of ~ 80 s to reach 97%RH from 33%RH and inducing ~ 2 dB change in transmission of resonance loss band.     

Active optical interconnect based on liquid-crystal grating

We propose a transparent plate of a liquid-crystal grating to be used as a light guide for optical interconnection. To this end, we are empowering the connection itself with active functions, such as switching, wavelength division, power adjustment, etc. In experiments, we built a grating based on in-plane switching. It contains vertically-aligned nematic liquid-crystal molecules between a glass plate with a high refractive index (light guide) and another glass plate with a pair of interdigitated electrodes. Entering a TM wave from an edge of the light guide, we have demonstrated that the activation of diffraction and intensity adjustment for the guided light are both possible. Because a TE wave is barely diffracted, the device also exhibits polarization division capability.     

Pointwise fiber Bragg grating displacement sensor system for dynamic measurements

A method for setting up a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor which can measure the pointwise, out-of-plane or in-plane dynamic displacement is proposed. The proposed FBG sensor is reusable. A multiplexing demodulation system based on a single long-period fiber grating is used in this study. The experimental results of the steady-state motion for a multilayer piezoelectric actuator and the dynamic response of a cantilever beam subjected to impact loadings are presented. These results indicate that the proposed displacement sensor has the ability to measure the out-of-plane dynamic displacement with high sensitivity. Measurements for a piezoceramic plate excited by high frequency show that the proposed displacement sensor also has the ability to provide the in-plane dynamic displacement up to 20 kHz.     

Grating light reflection spectroscopy for determination of bulk refractive index and absorbance

An optical sensing technique is described and evaluated for sensitivity to changes in refractive index and absorbance of model sample matrices. A binary dielectric/metal transmission diffraction grating is placed in contact with a sample and utilized in reflection mode; thus, the light captured and analyzed does not pass through the sample. This particular condition creates thresholds at which a particular transmitted diffraction order is transformed from a traveling wave to an evanescent one. The positions of these thresholds depend upon the complex dielectric function of the sample, the period of the grating, and the wavelength and incident angle of light striking the grating. Experimental evidence directly supports the theoretical predictions regarding responses to both the real and imaginary portions of the refractive index: the reflection coefficient derivative wavelength peak position shifts linearly with changes in the real part of the refractive index, and the derivative peak amplitudes exhibit a square-root dependence on absorbance. Refractive index sensitivity to a series of ethanol/water solutions is demonstrated with detectable changes in index as small as 2 × 10(-)(6). Absorbance sensitivity is shown via the differentiation of methylene blue samples having equivalent 1 cm path length absorbances between 0.459 and 244 AU. In a single reflection measurement, GLRS offers a large dynamic range for absorbance detection, allows simultaneous determination of bulk refractive index in optically dense media, and provides a platform for performing continuous process analysis.     

Refractometric sensor based on a phase-shifted long-period fiber grating

A refractometric sensor based on a phase-shifted long-period fiber grating written by electric-arc discharges is presented. Transmission and reflective configurations for refractive index measurements are studied. It is observed that the reflective topology permits better performance compared with the transmission one, which is the approach normally utilized in the context of long-period fiber sensing. The resolution achieved in the measurement of refractive index enables the application of this sensing head structure in demanding situations, such as the measurement of the level of salinity of water.     

High-Temperature Resistance Fiber Bragg Grating Temperature Sensor Fabrication

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensor and sensor arrays were applied widespread particularly in harsh environments. Although FBGs are often referring to permanent refractive index modulation in the fiber core, exposure to high-temperature environments usually results in the bleach of the refractive index modulation. The maximum temperature reported for the conventional FBG temperature sensor is around 600 degC due to its weak bonds of germanium and oxygen. In this paper, we report design and development of a novel high-temperature resistance FBG temperature sensor, based on the hydrogen-loaded germanium-doped FBG. The refractive index modulation in the FBG is induced by the molecular water. The results of our experiments have shown that the stability of the device is substantially increased at high temperature range. Due to the high bonds energy of hydroxyl and the low diffusivity of the molecular water, the thermal testing results of this temperature sensor show the thermal stability of hydrogen-loaded FBG can be increased by using annealing treatment; moreover, the highest erasing temperature for the device could reach to 1100 degC or more. The reflectivity of this new FBG depends on the concentration of Si-OH and indirectly related to the reflectivity of hydrogen-loaded FBG. Furthermore, the experimental results have provided a better understanding of the formation of the hydrogen-loaded FBGs and the chemical transfers at elevated temperatures in the fiber core     

Mechanical stress measurement by an achromatic optical digital speckle pattern interferometry strain sensor with radial in-plane sensitivity: experimental comparison with electrical strain gauges

This paper shows the optical setup of a radial in-plane digital speckle pattern interferometer which uses an axis-symmetrical diffractive optical element (DOE) to obtain double illumination. The application of the DOE gives in-plane sensitivity which only depends on the grating period of the DOE instead of the wavelength of the laser used as illumination source. A compact optical layout was built in order to have a portable optical strain sensor with a circular measurement area of about 5 mm in diameter. In order to compare its performance with electrical strain sensors (strain gauges), mechanical loading was generated by a four-point bending device and simultaneously monitored by the optical strain sensor and by two-element strain gauge rosettes. Several mechanical stress levels were measured showing a good agreement between both sensors. Results showed that the optical sensor could measure applied mechanical strains with a mean uncertainty of about 5% and 4% for the maximum and minimum principal strains, respectively.     

Sensing characteristics of a novel two-section long-period grating

The behavior of a temperature self-compensating, fiber, long-period grating (LPG) device is studied. This device consists of a single 325-microm-period LPG recorded across two sections of single-mode B-Ge-codoped fiber--one section bare and the other coated with a 1-microm thickness of Ag. This structure generates two attenuation bands associated with the eighth and ninth cladding modes, which are spectrally close together (approximately 60 nm). The attenuation band associated with the Ag-coated section is unaffected by changes in the refractive index of the surrounding medium and can be used to compensate for the temperature of the bare-fiber section. The sensor has a resolution of +/-1.0 x 10(-3) for the refractive index and +/-0.3 degrees C for the temperature. The effect of bending on the spectral characteristics of the two attenuation bands was found to be nonlinear, with the Ag-coated LPG having the greater sensitivity.     

Colloidal gold-modified optical fiber for chemical and biochemical sensing

A novel class of fiber-optic evanescent-wave sensor was constructed on the basis of modification of the unclad portion of an optical fiber with self-assembled gold colloids. The optical properties and, hence, the attenuated total reflection spectrum of self-assembled gold colloids on the optical fiber changes with different refractive index of the environment near the colloidal gold surface. With sucrose solutions of increasing refractive index, the sensor response decreases linearly. The colloidal gold surface was also functionalized with glycine, succinic acid, or biotin to enhance the selectivity of the sensor. Results show that the sensor response decreases linearly with increasing concentration of each analyte. When the colloidal gold surface was functionalized with biotin, the detection limit of the sensor for streptavidin was 9.8 x 10(-11) M. Using this approach, we demonstrate proof-of-concept of a class of refractive index sensor that is sensitive to the refractive index of the environment near the colloidal gold surface and, hence, is suitable for label-free detection of molecular or biomolecular binding at the surface of gold colloids.