Simultaneous temperature and strain measurements performed by a step-changed arc-induced long-period fiber grating

A compact sensor based on step-changed arc-induced long-period fiber gratings was implemented to discriminate between temperature and strain. The proposed sensor consists of a single long-period grating with two sections written consecutively in the SMF-28 fiber using the electric arc discharge technique. The two sections have the same period but different fabrication parameters. The operation of the sensor relies on the existence of a difference between the values of temperature and strain sensitivity of two neighboring resonances observed in the spectrum of the step-changed grating. The temperature and strain resolutions obtained for the sensor are 0.2 degrees C and 35 micro epsilon, respectively.     

Temperature sensor based on the power reflected by a Bragg grating in a tapered fiber

We present a temperature sensor based on two chirped gratings made in optical fibers tapered by fusion. One of the gratings has a metallic shielding and acts as sensor element, whereas the second grating provides a reference signal. The sensor is interrogated by measuring the power reflected by the two gratings, and the system has an accuracy of 0.05 degrees C over a linear operation range of more than 10 degrees C that can be adjusted in the fabrication process.     

Fabrication and modeling of uniform-waist single-mode tapered optical fiber sensors

We report the fabrication and modeling of single-mode tapered optical fiber sensors. The fabrication technique consist of stretching a section of fiber with an oscillating flame torch. Such a process allows controllable fabrication of lossless tapered fibers with a uniform waist. The sensor transmittance is modeled with a simple ray optics approach. In the model, all the taper parameters are taken into account. Our results indicate that sensor sensitivity can be adjusted with the taper waist diameter. As an example a gold-coated tapered fiber is theoretically and experimentally analyzed.     

Recording of long-period gratings in special single-mode fibers by a CO2 laser

The paper deals with the fabrication of long-period gratings (LPG) in special optical fibers with an inverted parabolic-index profile of the cladding by periodically exposing the fibers to radiation of a high-power CO₂ laser. Details on the fiber fabrication and preparation of LPGs with a period of about 1 mm in the fibers are presented. The fabricated LPGs were evaluated on the basis of their transmission spectra determined by measuring the output spectral density of the fiber with the LPGs. It is shown that the position of the band and its strength depend on the laser beam velocity, beam power and the interaction time of radiation with the fiber.     

Design of Long-Period Fiber Grating Refractometric Sensors With Linear Response by a Genetic Algorithm

A new method for the design of optical fiber refractometric sensors based on nonuniform long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) is presented. A specialized genetic algorithm (GA) with properly designed operators is a fundamental element of this method and performs the theoretical synthesis of a necessary nonuniform LPFG period profile. Such a profile yields a linear response of the sensor to the refractive index of the external medium. A distinctive feature of the designed LPFG is a linear gradient of the core and cladding refractive index along the grating length. Also, a new mathematical model of nonuniform LPFGs is presented, the model permits to take into account the effect of some LPFG sections of a lower and others of a higher cladding refractive index than that of the external medium. The application of both the design method and the mathematical model is illustrated with a numerical example.     

Dispersion control with use of long-period fiber gratings

Chirped long-period fiber gratings are analyzed for management of dispersion in optical fiber communications systems. A ray model is used to derive simple analytic expressions that describe the transmission, chromatic delay, and dispersion properties of chirped long-period fiber gratings. A numerical model based on coupled-mode theory is used to verify the accuracy of the analytic expressions and explore design issues of the chirped long-period grating. With certain reasonable restrictions, chirped long-period gratings are found to be a viable and desirable alternative to existing dispersion compensation techniques.     

Development of an in-fiber white-light interferometric distance sensor for absolute measurement of arbitrary small distances

The fabrication, implementation, and evaluation of an in-fiber white-light interferometric distance sensor that is capable of measuring the absolute value of an arbitrary small distance are presented. Taking advantage of the mode-coupling effect of a long-period fiber grating, an additional cavity distance is added to the optical path difference of the distance sensor; therefore, it can generate a sufficient number of fringes for distance demodulation even if the free-space cavity distance is very small. It is experimentally verified that the distance sensor is capable of measuring small distances that are beyond the capability of a Fabry-Perot interferometric distance sensor.     

Embossable grating couplers for planar waveguide optical sensors

Planar optical waveguides are an attractive tool for use in analytical chemistry and spectroscopy. Although similar to fiber optics, planar waveguides have been slow to be commercially accepted due to the difficulty of coupling light into the guide. Generally, prism coupling is the method of choice in the laboratory, as efficiencies approaching 80% can be reached. However, prisms are impractical for routine use for several reasons: expensive positioning equipment is required, coupled power is sensitive to environmental fluctuations, and prism coupling prohibits the fabrication of a truly planar device. The use of thin gratings on the surface of the waveguide allows for a two-dimensional structure to be maintained, while providing enough efficiency to be useful as a sensor. Our research efforts focus on developing a technique to make inexpensive, reproducible gratings that are easy to fabricate. By chemically modifying the surface of a commercial grating with a suitable release agent, it is possible to emboss replica gratings onto a variety of waveguide types. The fabrication of embossed gratings will be described, and their performance on glass, ion-diffused, polymer, and semiconductor waveguides will be presented.     

Transfer-matrix method based on a discrete coupling model for analyzing uniform and nonuniform codirectional fiber grating couplers

A simple and efficient transfer-matrix method based on a discrete coupling model is presented to analyze uniform and nonuniform fiber grating couplers between copropagating core and cladding modes. Uniform and piecewise-uniform long-period gratings were fabricated by a point-by-point arc discharge technique. Their measured transmission spectra were compared with the transmission spectra calculated by the presented method.     

Femtosecond laser-inscribed fiber Bragg gratings for strain monitoring in power cables of offshore wind turbines

A fiber Bragg grating sensor system used for monitoring the effects of strain on the power cable of an offshore wind turbine is presented. The Bragg grating structure was inscribed into coated nonphotosensitive standard telecommunication fibers using an IR femtosecond laser and the point-by-point writing technique. Because of the presence of the protective coating of the fiber, the mechanical stability of the resultant sensor device is better than that of a sensor consisting of a bare fiber. A system containing this sensing element was to our knowledge for the first time successfully installed and tested in an offshore wind turbine prototype (REpower 6M, REpower Systems, AG, Germany) in February 2010, near Ellh?ft (Germany). The fabrication process of the fiber Bragg gratings, measurement results of the online monitoring, and a comparison between the sensor signal and commonly used sensing techniques are presented.     

Two-wave-plate compensator method for full-field retardation measurements

The two-wave-plate compensator (TWC) method is expanded for full-field retardation measurements by use of a polarization microscope. The sample image is projected onto a CCD camera connected to a computer, allowing the retardation to be measured at all pixels. The retardation accuracy of this implementation of the TWC is evaluated to be 0.06 nm. The method is applied to polarization-maintaining fibers and long-period fiber gratings. The measured retardation is in good agreement with the crossed-polarizer images of the fibers. The method achieves a spatial resolution of 0.45 microm and a retardation resolution of 0.07 nm. The full-field TWC method can thus be a useful tool for characterizing and monitoring the fabrication of optical devices.     

Prototype CO2 laser-induced long-period fiber grating variable optical attenuators and optical tunable filters

Prototype devices capable of variable attenuation at a fixed wavelength, wavelength tuning at a constant attenuation, and combinations of these spectral characteristics are demonstrated in CO2 laser-induced long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs). These devices are based on controlled flexure by means of a piezoceramic platform. CO2 laser-induced LPFG characteristics along with the fabrication and testing processes of these gratings are discussed. Devices with a optical attenuation of 13 dB and a wavelength tuning of 7 nm are reported.     

Bend sensors with direction recognition based on long-period gratings written in D-shaped fiber

The curvature- or bend-sensing response of long-period gratings (LPGs) UV inscribed in D-shaped fiber has been investigated experimentally. Strong fiber-orientation dependence of the spectral response when such LPGs are subjected to bending at different directions has been observed and is shown to form the basis for a new class of single-device sensor with vector-sensing capability. Potential applications utilizing the linear response and unique bend-orientation characteristics of the devices are discussed.     

Wavelength shifts of cladding-mode resonance in corrugated long-period fiber gratings under torsion

A finite deformation theory of elasticity and a theory of nonlinear photoelasticity are applied to describe the wavelength shifts of cladding-mode resonance in corrugated long-period fiber gratings under torsion. The deformation of fiber is found by use of the Murnaghan model of a solid elastic body. The quadratic photoelastic effect that is proportional to the second-order displacement gradient is investigated and compared with the classical photoelastic effect. The electromagnetic field in the twisted corrugated structure is presented as a superposition of circularly polarized modes of the etched fiber section. The wavelength shift is found to be proportional to the square of the twist angle. As predicted by our theory, a wavelength shift of the same nature has been found in a conventionally photoinduced long-period fiber grating.     

基于光束扫描方法制作取样光栅的实验研究

报道了一种基于光束扫描方法采用普通均匀相位模板和连续的 2 4 4nm倍频氩离子激光器 ,制作波长间隔为 0 .8nm和 1.6nm取样光栅的新技术 ,并对得到的实验结果进行了分析。研制的取样光栅波长间隔均匀 ,具有良好的谱特性。采用的方法操作简单、灵活 ,可方便地制作不同类型的取样光栅。     

Multiplexing Scheme for Self-Interfering Long-Period Fiber Gratings Using a Low-Coherence Reflectometry

A novel multiplexing scheme based on a low-coherence reflectometry (LCR) is proposed for a sensing array (in parallel) of self-interfering long-period fiber gratings (SI-LPGs). Each SI-LPG sensor consists of an LPG and a section of fiber with a highly reflective end (mirror). The spectral information of each LPG is sensitive to some parameters of the surrounding measurand and can be reconstructed from the corresponding subreflectograms (obtained by the LCR) through a fast Fourier transformation. The sensing signals of multiple SI-LPG sensors can be multiplexed if the length of the fiber section in each sensor is set to a different value. Experiments of measuring the surrounding temperature at different sensors are demonstrated to show the good performance of our multiplexing system.     

Control of the characteristics of a long-period grating by cladding etching

We have analyzed the effects of the fiber cladding radius on the characteristics of long-period fiber gratings. By etching the cladding of a common single-mode fiber, we verified the characteristics experimentally. When by etching we reduce the cladding radius of a common single-mode fiber on which a long-period refractive-index modulation has been imposed, the coupling strength of the core and the cladding modes increases. In addition, the difference in the propagation constants (for a fixed wavelength) between the core mode and the cladding modes increases; hence the resonant transmission dip wavelengths shift to longer wavelengths. The proposed method can be useful in making and detuning long-period fiber grating filters.     

Embedded corrugated long-period fiber gratings for sensing applications

We demonstrate a method to make possible the mass production of corrugated long-period fiber gratings (C-LPFGs) by utilizing imprint lithography on polycarbonate (PC) substrates. For such C-LPFGs whose working principle is based on photoelastic effect, pretensile tension is required to be applied to inducing periodical refractive index variation. We then present an attempt to use PC as embedding material for providing internal compressive stress for C-LPFGs to have a photoelastic effect. This type of LPFG, termed embedded corrugated long-period fiber gratings (EC-LPFGs), is obtained after reimprinting the C-LPFGs into other PC substrates. Since compressive stress is retained due to the materials of different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), unlike C-LPFGs, EC-LPFGs can serve as strain, bending, and temperature sensors without the need of pretensile strain. The two most troublesome problems, the fragility of an etched fiber grating and the requirement of pretensile strain, can be simultaneously alleviated or solved by EC-LPFGs.     

一种用于低频测量的光纤光栅振动传感器

利用光纤光栅敏感技术,设计了一种用于低频测量的光纤光栅振动传感器.该传感器采用了等强度悬臂梁作为振动传感元件,并在等强度悬臂梁的上下双面优化布置性能匹配的两个光纤光栅,一个为振动敏感测量光栅,另一个为信号匹配滤波解调光栅.该结构设计可以补偿温度的不利影响,同时也提高了传感器信号检测的灵敏度.实测结果表明,该传感器可以用于25 Hz以下的低频目标的振动测量.     

Fabrication of advanced fiber Bragg gratings by use of sequential writing with a continuous-wave ultraviolet laser source

We present a novel scheme based on sequential writing for fabrication of advanced fiber Bragg gratings. As opposed to earlier sequential methods this technique uses a cw UV laser source and allows for very precise control and repetitivity of the formation of the gratings. Furthermore it is possible to use high average irradiances without destroying the fiber, resulting in considerable reduction in fabrication time for complex gratings. The method has been applied to several test gratings, which proved its versatility and quality.