Unambiguous measurement of surface profile using a Sagnac interferometer with phase feedback

The fringe profiles from a two beam interferometer with phase feedback are almost unambiguous over a range of 2π or more. This allows phase and therefore surface profile to be determined directly from output intensity of an interferometer. In this paper we describe how feedback can be applied to a polarisation Sagnac common path interferometer using a parallel aligned nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulator. Initial experiments have shown that the device is capable of measuring profiles to accuracies greater than one tenth of a wavelength.     

Magneto-optic fiber Sagnac modulator based on magnetic fluids

A magneto-optic modulator with a magnetic fluid film inserted into an optical fiber Sagnac interferometer is proposed. The magnetic fluid exhibits variable birefringence and Faraday effect under external magnetic field that will lead to a phase difference and polarization state rotation in the Sagnac interferometer. As a result, the intensity of the output light is modulated under the external magnetic field. Moreover, the modulator has a high extinction ratio and can easily be integrated in a single-mode fiber system. The performance of the modulator is not affected by ambient temperature variation from room temperature to 40 °C.     

An intensity-modulation direct-detection radio-over-fiber link with a tunable transfer function

An intensity-modulation direct-detection (IMDD) radio-over-fiber link with a tunable transfer function is presented. It utilizes a bias drift free intensity modulator based on a Sagnac fiber loop interferometer containing an optical phase modulator. By adjusting the polarization controller in the interferometer, the transfer function of the whole system can be tuned. The present method is simple and easy to implement.     

Polarization insensitive linear intensity modulation in a Sagnac fiber-optic loop with an electro-optic cell and optoelectronic feedback

We present a modulation scheme consisting of a fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer, which has an electro-optic modulator (Pockels cell) in the loop of the interferometer. In order to diminish the nonlinearity of the Sagnac interferometer transmittance function, we monitor a very small part of the output light intensity by means of a photodiode and then amplify this signal by a constant factor ξ. This amplified signal is added to the electrical modulating signal that is being applied to the electro-optical modulator. The consequence of introducing this feedback loop is that by properly choosing the amplifying factor ξ, we can increase the linearity of the modulation. The device is insensitive to the polarization state of the input light, so it should be used for intensity modulation of nonpolarized light with up to 100% modulation depth. The theoretical and experimental examination of the device is presented.     

Adaptive wave-front correction by means of all-optical feedback interferometry

A novel adaptive wave-front correction system based on an all-optical feedback interferometer is described. In this system the two-dimensional output fringe intensity from a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with large radial shear is optically fed back to an optically addressed phase-only liquid-crystal spatial light modulator. Consequently, without a separate aberration-free reference wave, the modulator phase approximates the conjugate of the interferometer phase that is directly related to the phase of the input aberrated wave front, so this system is applicable in adaptive optics. We successfully achieved real-time correction of aberrated wave fronts: A diffraction pattern that was seriously distorted because of aberrations was transformed into a diffraction-limited spot immediately after the feedback loop was closed.     

环形光纤声发射传感器的相位调制特性研究

提出了一种基于光纤Sagnac干涉仪的环形传感器,用于固体表面传播的超声波的检测.这种传感器的特点是能够精确地检测由固体表面传播的超声波产生的微弱振动.当超声波信号通过光纤传感器的两个臂到达探测器时,干涉仪的输出光强度受到了超声信号的调制.通过检测干涉仪的输出光强度并利用Fourier变换,测得了超声信号的振幅和频率.而且对传感系统的位相调制特性进行了仿真,并对实验结果进行了分析,结果表明该系统可用于固体表面传播的超声波频率特征的识别.     

Wavefront measurement with a phase-shifting lateral-shearing Sagnac interferometer operating in broadband light

A phase-stepping lateral shearing Sagnac interferometer for wavefront measurement is described. Phase shifting is implemented using a polarisation modulator operating on the wavelength independent Pancharatnam's phase allowing accurate measurement of phase maps even with broadband light. We demonstrate the interferometer by measuring a range of different wavefront shapes using both laser and white light.     

Surface-bonded fiber optic Sagnac sensors for ultrasound detection

This paper describes a fiber optic sensor suitable for remote sensing and multi-point detection of ultrasound. This ultrasound sensor is based on the surface-bonded fiber optic Sagnac interferometer with the output fringe visibility of 1; it consists of a laser source, an ordinary single mode fiber delay line, a fiber coupler, a phase modulator and polarization controllers. For the validation of the sensor, surface acoustic waves and Lamb waves are excited by illuminating a steel specimen with an array of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser-generated line sources and the measurement of laser-generated ultrasonic waves are performed on the specimen surface using the surface-mounting fiber optic Sagnac sensor. The surface-bonded fiber optic sensor developed in this study has a simple configuration for detection of ultrasonic waves. Effectiveness of surface-bonded fiber optic Sagnac sensors for remote sensing of ultrasound and in situ monitoring of structures is investigated. The capability of multi-point detection of ultrasound by this Sagnac sensor is also discussed.     

High-resolution, large dynamic range fiber length measurement based on a frequency-shifted asymmetric Sagnac interferometer

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a single-mode fiber length and dispersion measurement system based on what we believe to be a novel frequency-shifted asymmetric Sagnac interferometer incorporating an acousto-optic modulator (AOM). By sweeping the driving frequency of the AOM, which is asymmetrically placed in the Sagnac loop, the optical length of the fiber can be determined by measuring the corresponding variation in the phase delay between the two counterpropagating light beams. Combined with a high-resolution data processing algorithm, this system yields a dynamic range from a few centimeters to 60 km (limited by our availability of long fibers) with a resolution of approximately 1 part per million for long fibers.     

Low-coherence self-referencing velocimetry

Low-coherence self-referencing velocimetry optically measures the relative velocity between a point in a particle-laden fluid and a (potentially moving) reference surface. Low-coherence light scattered off the particles and off the reference surface is coupled into an interferometer with variable optical delay in one arm and an acousto-optical modulator in the second arm. The measurement location is set relative to the reference surface. Its location can be scanned along a line by adjusting the optical delay in the interferometer. The spatial resolution is typically tens of micrometers. Only one low-coherence light beam is required for each component of the velocity vector. Proof-of-principle measurements in Taylor-Couette flow are presented.     

Balanced heterodyne signal extraction in a postmodulated Sagnac interferometer at low frequency

We describe a balanced-heterodyne postmodulated Sagnac interferometer signal extraction method that is suitable for gravitational wave detection. The method is simple to implement by placement of a polarization-selective modulator after the beam splitter in the dark port of the interferometer. The postmodulated Sagnac interferometer retains its common path advantage and exhibits insensitivity to laser frequency noise below, at, and above the heterodyne frequency. Balanced detection reduces sensitivity to laser amplitude noise. In this scheme mirror displacement signals were rf demodulated and observed from 0.2 to 10kHz.     

用于微位移测量的笔束激光干涉仪

介绍了一种基于空间干涉原理的亚微米零差干涉位移测量方法。该方法是对笔束激光干涉仪在微位移测量领域的应用 ,干涉仪的测量精度不受光束波前畸变等光源噪声的影响。给出了干涉仪主要结构参数的选取原则 ;构建了用于微位移测量的笔束激光干涉仪实验系统。实验结果表明 ,该系统具有纳米测量分辨率。     

基于长周期光纤光栅和保偏光纤Sagnac环光谱特性的温度与应变测量研究

提出并研制了一种结构简单、成本低廉的温度与应变同时测量系统,其结构是在保偏光纤Sagnac环内接入一个长周期光纤光栅(LPFG)。利用LPFG对保偏光纤Sagnac环的透射光谱进行调制,通过监测谐振峰波长和强度的变化,发现波长随温度和保偏光纤的应变变化,强度随LPFG的应变变化,因此可以实现温度与应变的区分测量,并且可判断出应变的施加位置。实验得到该系统的温度灵敏度为0.181 81 nm·℃-1,LPFG区的应变灵敏度为0.005 283 dB·με-1,保偏光纤Sagnac环区的应变灵敏度为0.015 72 nm·με-1。实验结果表明该方案可行,并具有一定的实用性。     

Interrogation technique for a fiber Bragg grating sensing array based on a Sagnac interferometer and an acousto-optic modulator

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel real-time interrogation technique for a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system that is based on a frequency-shifted asymmetric Sagnac interferometer. FBG sensors are connected to the Sagnac loop by an optical coupler, and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is asymmetrically placed in the Sagnac loop. By linearly sweeping the driving frequency of the AOM, the environmental variation around each FBG sensor can be determined by measuring the spectrum of the interference signals of the two counterpropagating light beams reflected by the corresponding FBG. The system has the advantages of low cost and real-time sensing.     

光纤Sagnac温度传感器

介绍了一种新型的基于光纤Sagnac干涉仪的高精度光纤温度传感器———光纤Sagnac温度传感器。讨论了此传感器的测温原理,推导了被测温度与传感器输出之间的关系,设计并调测了一个具体传感器系统。实验结果表明,此温度传感器具有很高的精度和大的测量范围。     

Measurement of the chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber by use of a Sagnac interferometer employing asymmetric modulation

We describe a novel method, based on asymmetric modulation in a Sagnac interferometer, that measures the chromatic dispersion of single-mode fibers. The interferometer incorporates a phase modulator and a test fiber, so the dispersion can be determined from the interference fringe seen when a sweep rf signal is applied to the modulator. This technique provides picosecond temporal resolution without the need for any fast diagnostic equipment and is capable of accurately measuring the average dispersion of fibers several kilometers long.     

Phase modulation of an electro-optic polymer cladded polarization-maintaining optic fiber

We present, for the first time based on our knowledge, a novel in-fiber optical phase modulator that is inherently broadband, efficient, and polarization-maintaining (PM). The modulator is a 25 mm long section of a D-shaped cladding PM fiber with half of its silica cladding replaced with an electro-optic (EO) silicone gel. A phase modulation of more than pi rad has been demonstrated. We describe techniques that enable the long-distance exposure of the fiber core, microfabrication of on-fiber electrodes, a low refractive index EO cladding material for replacing silica fiber cladding, and accurate phase measurement utilizing a Sagnac interferometer.     

pi-shifted Sagnac interferometer for characterization of femtosecond first- and second-order polarization mode dispersion

A novel configuration for measuring femtosecond polarization mode dispersion (PMD) with a pi-shifted Sagnac interferometer is studied. The advantages of this configuration include a response that is independent of the orientation of the device under test. This independence allows characterization of the first-and second-order PMD by measurement of the wavelength dependence of the differential group delay and of the orientation of the device's principal states of polarization. The method provides an extension of the dynamic range of the Sagnac interferometer technique to few-femtosecond PMD measurement.     

Simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature with a long-period fiber grating inscribed Sagnac interferometer

A Sagnac interferometer with a long-period fiber grating (LPG) inscribed in the polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature. Due to the different responses of the LPG and the Sagnac interferometer to strain and temperature, simultaneous measurement can be achieved by monitoring the wavelength shifts and the intensity changes of a resonance dip of the sensor setup. The experimental results show that the achieved sensitivities to strain and temperature are 6.4 × 10^− 3 dB/με and 0.65 nm/°C, respectively.     

基于全光纤萨格纳克干涉仪的温度不敏感磁场测量

研究了双折射磁光光纤萨格纳克 (Sagnac) 干涉仪透射谱的磁场和温度敏感性. 实验表明, 干涉仪透射谱会随着温度的增加向短波长移动 (温度系数为-0.435 nm/℃), 其波长依赖性则随着磁场的增加而降低. 据此, 通过调节干涉仪内偏振控制器状态实现了温度不敏感的磁场测量, 磁场系数为189 mW/T², 实验结果与理论分析一致. 关键词： 磁场测量 磁光效应 双折射 萨格纳克干涉仪