Investigation of dual-channel fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance sensing for biological applications

A dual-channel fiber-optic sensor based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for self-referencing refractive-index measurements has been proposed. Most applications of fiber-optic SPR sensors are designed to measure the refractive index of a liquid or gas sample by measuring the signal from a single surface, the sensitivity and stability of which is easily affected by the fluctuation of external environmental conditions. We have designed a dual-channel fiber-optic surface sensor with two independent SPR signals from two areas of the same probe. A prototype sensor was fabricated and characterized. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate the characteristic responses of both SPR signals from two channels that independently correspond to the refractive index changes in the liquid samples with which they are in contact. The design could be extended to a multichannel sensor with further developments. The experimental results confirmed that one channel can be used as a reference sensor that could compensate for unexpected changes in bulk refraction or temperature and develop this sensor as a practicable high-sensitivity biosensing device.     

Fabrication and comparison of thermochromic material-based fiber-optic sensors for monitoring the temperature of water

In this study, we explored the feasibility of developing two types of fiber-optic temperature sensors that can measure the temperature of water. One uses a thermochromic material such as Lophine, whose optical absorbance changes according to the thermal variation. The other uses a thermochromic pigment that gradually loses its own color through heat absorption. We measured the change in the intensity of the reflected light, which was due to the variation of the optical property of Lophine and pigments, with thermal variation. The relationship between the temperature of water and the output signal of the fiber-optic sensors was also determined. The fiber-optic temperature sensor using Lophine provided a relatively broad range of temperature measurement with low sensitivity, whereas the fiber-optic temperature sensor using a thermochromic pigment offered a high sensitivity in a narrow range of temperature measurement.     

光纤菲佐应变传感器的波分频分复用方法

将波分复用技术与空间频率复用技术相结合,提出了新的光纤菲佐应变传感器波分频分复用方法:在粗波分复用(CWDM)的不同波段实现具有不同腔长的光纤菲佐应变传感器的空间频率复用。描述了基于该方法的光纤菲佐应变传感器复用系统的结构、原理及实验结果,讨论了复用技术中可能产生的串扰的影响及其解决方法。实验结果表明,该方法大大提高了光纤菲佐应变传感器的复用能力,可复用40个以上的菲佐应变传感器,且其应变测量精度达±5με,可满足实际应用的要求。     

An optical fiber infrasound sensor: a new lower limit on atmospheric pressure noise between 1 and 10 Hz

A new distributed sensor for detecting pressure variations caused by distant sources has been developed. The instrument reduces noise due to air turbulence in the infrasound band by averaging pressure along a line by means of monitoring strain in a long tubular diaphragm with an optical fiber interferometer. Above 1 Hz, the optical fiber infrasound sensor (OFIS) is less noisy than sensors relying on mechanical filters. Records collected from an 89-m-long OFS indicate a new low noise limit in the band from 1 to 10 Hz. Because the OFIS integrates pressure variations at light-speed rather than the speed of sound, phase delays of the acoustical signals caused by the sensor are negligible. Very long fiber-optic sensors are feasible and hold the promise of better wind-noise reduction than can be achieved with acoustical-mechanical systems.     

Fiber-optic temperature sensor using low-coherence interferometry

Low-coherence interferometric sensors are an important group of optical fibre sensors. Combining high measurement resolution with broad measurement range, these sensors can measure accurately several physical quantities e.g. temperature. In this article we present the fiber-optic temperature sensor using low-coherent interferometry, which has been designed and elaborated.     

On the possible use of optical fiber Bragg gratings as strain sensors for geodynamical monitoring

Optical fiber sensors can be used to measure many different parameters including strain, temperature, pressure, displacement, electrical field, refractive index, rotation, position and vibrations. Among a variety of fiber sensors, fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) have numerous advantages over other optical fiber sensors. One of the major advantages of this type of sensors is attributed to wavelength-encoded information given by the Bragg grating. Since the wavelength is an absolute parameter, signal from FBG may be processed such that its information remains immune to power fluctuations along the optical path. This inherent characteristic makes the FBG sensors very attractive for application in harsh environments, “smart structures” and on-site measurements.This paper reviews the achievements about the FBG as a strain and temperature sensor and describes the potential applications of FBG sensors for applications in the field of geophysics and its expected development in the near future. The applications could include: rock deformation, fiber-optic geophone, optical based seismograph, vertical seismic profiling and structural monitoring of civil structures. Different techniques to detect strains and various applications will be reviewed and discussed. The problem of temperature–strain cross sensitivity, that is particularly difficult to eliminate, is addressed and approaches to overcome it are discussed.     

Light intensity modulation fiber-optic sensor for curvature measurement

A light intensity modulation fiber-optic sensor, which can measure curvature directly, has been developed. It is suitable for the measurement of thin, embedded or highly flexible structures. An experimental analysis on the static and dynamic characteristics of sensor has been undertaken. The results show that the output voltage has polarity and a good linear relationship with curvature when the curvature radius is larger than 60 mm. The mathematical model relating the relative output loss, parameters of sensitive zone’s configuration (depth, number, height and half angle of tooth) and bending radius is described analytically based on the geometric optics. Curvature fiber-optic sensors can be used to build a quasi-distributed fiber-optic sensor system, which can measure curvature and torsion angle simultaneously.     

Fiber-optic curvature sensor with optimized sensitive zone

A novel fiber-optic sensor that can measure curvature directly has been developed previously. In this paper, the transduction of curvature to light intensity is described analytically by using the geometrical optics analysis. The mathematical model allows a quantitative optimization of the sensor without having to produce many sensors with slightly different combinations of parameters in order to accomplish a similar objective experimentally. The Monte Carlo simulation by ray tracing and an orthogonal matrix are used to optimize the fiber-optic sensor’s configuration. The results show that the depth of the sensitive zone and the number of teeth are two main parameters that affect the sensor’s sensitivity and the optimum number of teeth is 55, which is in agreement with the mathematical model.     

一种用于变压器局部放电在线监测的光纤声发射传感器实验研究

提出了一种光纤声发射传感器并构建传感系统实现变压器局部放电在线监测,利用传感光栅体积小,重量轻,灵敏度高和抗电磁干扰的特点,将传感器置于变压器内部实现局部放电声发射信号的测量。研究了传感光栅实现声发射应力波测量的机理,声发射信号引起传感光栅反射光谱发生漂移,导致特定频点处反射光强发生变化,通过反射光强的变化实现声发射信号的测量。构建声发射传感系统实验模型并提出了一种系统性能优化策略,使系统工作在传感光栅反射光谱上升或下降沿的半峰值频点处,从而保障传感系统具有良好的线性输出特性;研究传感系统工作点稳定技术,设计信号反馈回路自动跟踪反射光谱的漂移,保证系统稳定工作在传感光栅半峰值频点处,消除温度变化对传感系统测量精度的影响。将封装好的传感器用于变压器局部放电现场检测,结果表明,光纤光栅声发射传感器与压电传感器相比具有灵敏度高、动态范围宽等优点,可以实现变压器局部放电在线监测。     

Demodulation algorithm for spatial-frequency-division-multiplexed fiber-optic Fizeau strain sensor networks

A demodulation algorithm for spatial-frequency-division-multiplexed fiber-optic Fizeau strain sensor networks with a large number of sensors is proposed to effectively reduce the cross talk between any two adjacent sensors and hence substantially enhance the multiplexing capability of the network, which is based on the Pisarenko algorithm. The cross talk between two fiber-optic Fizeau sensors is investigated experimentally. The experimental results show that a strain accuracy of better than +/-10 micro permittivity can be achieved even when the cavity length difference is approximately 100 microm. It was demonstrated that the multiplexing capability of the spatial-frequency-division-multiplexed fiber-optic Fizeau sensor network can be approximately 5 times greater than that of the conventional fast-Fourier-transform algorithm, and this can lead to achievement of a sensing network with a multiplexing capability of as many as 1000 Fizeau sensors.     

Low-Temperature Radiometric Measurements Using a Silver Halide Optical Fiber and Infrared Optical Devices

In this study, we measured an infrared radiation which is transferred by a silver halide optical fiber from a heat source using a radiometer system for low-temperature measurements. To increase the amount of infrared radiation through the silver halide optical fiber and to the pyroelectric sensor, infrared optical devices used were an infrared focusing lens and a collimator. The relationship between the temperatures of a heat source and the measured radiometer signals were determined. The measurable temperature range of a fiber-optic temperature sensor using a pyroelectric sensor was from 298 to 333 K. It is expected that a noncontact low-temperature sensor using an infrared optical fiber can be developed for medical and industrial usages based on the results of this study.     

光纤超声传感器及应用研究进展

光纤超声传感器通过检测光纤内传输光的强度、波长、相位、偏振态等参数感知超声波的相关信息.相比于传统的电类超声换能器,光纤超声传感器能够实现宽频带超声波信号的高灵敏探测,且其良好的抗干扰能力和复用性,可有效地提高超声波探测的可靠性和效率,在水下国防安全、生物成像、无损探伤、地震物理模型成像等领域具有巨大的应用潜力.目前,按照传感结构,光纤超声传感器可分为光纤强度调制型、光纤干涉型和光纤光栅型,并在不同方面发挥着各自的优势,均受到关注.本文主要综述了这几种传感器的传感机理、实现方法、发展现状,总结了光纤超声传感器的几个应用领域及面临的科学技术挑战,重点讨论了光纤超声传感器作为一种新技术应用于地震物理模型成像.     

分布式光纤温度传感技术在隧道监测中的应用

介绍了分布式光纤温度传感检测原理及采用拉曼散射型分布式光纤温度传感器并将其与高速采集处理电路集成的检测方式。分析了分布式光纤温度传感技术应用于隧道火情监控的优越性。结合计算机及现场Modbus网络构建了隧道监测网络，同时还介绍了开发隧道监测网络的软硬件设计过程。现场实验表明，分布式光纤温度传感技术具有良好的应用前景和较高的推广价值。     

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.     

Application of optical time-domain reflectometry for the interrogation of fiber Bragg sensors

A reflectometric approach is proposed for the polling and multiplexing of sensitive elements on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The method is based on the power measurement of the radiation reflected by the FBG using a conventional fiber-optic time-domain reflectometer. The multiplexing of sensors is based on the time separation of signals. Requirements on the Bragg diffraction gratings that provide the linear dependence of the received signal on the FBG mechanical stress and temperature are determined. In the measurements of the FBG relative elongation and temperature, the threshold sensitivities are 0.8 × 10^?4 (80 μstrain) and 5°C, respectively. Due to its simplicity and efficiency, the reflectometric method of FBG polling and multiplexing can be used to solve various measurement problems, in particular, the safety monitoring of the stressed-strained elements in building structures.     

Optical cavity coupled surface plasmon resonance sensing for enhanced sensitivity

A surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing system based on the optical cavity enhanced detection tech-nique is experimentally demonstrated. A fiber-optic laser cavity is built with a SPR sensor inside. By measuring the laser output power when the cavity is biased near the threshold point, the sensitivity, defined as the dependence of the output optical intensity on the sample variations, can be increased by about one order of magnitude compared to that of the SPR sensor alone under the intensity interrogation scheme. This could facilitate ultra-high sensitivity SPR biosensing applications. Further system miniaturization is possible by using integrated optical components and waveguide SPR sensors.     

Fiber-optic sensor based on evanescent wave absorbance around 2.7 μm for determining water content in polar organic solvents

The feasibility of sapphire fiber-optic sensors based on evanescent wave absorption spectroscopy in the infrared range for quantitative determination of water content in polar organic solvents has been investigated. Evanescent wave absorption spectra of sapphire fiber-optic sensors in glycerol, ethanol, and glycol with different water concentrations obtained and analyzed, respectively. Evanescent absorbance of the sensors in those organic solvents has been utilized to implement for in situ monitoring water concentration in organic solvents. The evanescent absorbance of sensors in glycerol and glycol has been found to vary linearly with water content in the range 0–30 % and in ethanol in the range 0–10 %, respectively. The fiber-optic sensors based on evanescent absorbance for monitoring water concentrations in those organic solvents are acceptably accurate, cost-effective, and reliable. Some methods to improve the accuracy of predicated water content in those organic solvents are also suggested. Overall, the results demonstrate that the sapphire fiber-optic sensor based on evanescent absorption spectroscopy is a promising candidate for prediction of water content in polar organic solvents in on-line and remote situation.     

A fiber-optic voltage sensor based on macrobending structure

We propose and demonstrate an optical voltage sensing scheme based on a macrobending optical fiber in a ratiometric power measurement system. This novel approach to sensing has not been utilized before and has the advantage that the sensor involves simple fabrication compared to existing fiber-optic voltage sensors. To prove the feasibility of such a fiber-optic sensor, a sensor for a voltage range from 0∼100 V is demonstrated, with a resolution of 0.5 V. The sensor is robust, linear, and shows a competitive measurement resolution. The sensor can be easily scaled to suit other voltage levels and be effectively combined with optical current sensors.     

Fiber-optic acoustic sensor for nondestructive evaluation

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the applicability of fiber-optic acoustic sensors to detect internal flaws in polymeric materials. A polarimetric fiber-optic sensor embedded in a plexiglass model received the acoustic signals generated by an ultrasonic transducer. It is shown that proper control of the polarization and phase of the optical beam is required to obtain meaningful results from the amplitude of the fiber-optic sensor signal. The sensor has shown promising results in determining acoustical properties of plexiglass and locating internal defects. The attractive feature of this sensing scheme is that the optical fibers are not modified prior to embedding. Therefore, they preserve their mechanical properties which makes the embedding process much easier.     

光纤菲佐传感器频分复用网络解调方法研究

为了减小光纤菲佐传感器间的串扰,提高传感器网络的复用能力,提出了基于Pisarenko正弦波恢复法的光纤菲佐应变传感器频分复用网络光谱解调方案。在多光束干涉原理的基础上,建立了基于Pisarenko正弦波恢复方法的传感器频分复用解调模型,并对2个光纤菲佐传感器的串扰进行了实验研究。快速傅里叶变换能够达到应变精度好于±10με的传感器间最小腔长差约为500μm,而该方法可以把最小腔长差缩短至100μm左右。这意味着系统的复用能力提高了大约5倍。因此,该方法是一种串扰小、复用能力强的解调方法,在大容量准分布式传感网络中具有极大的潜在应用价值。