Development and investigation of an optical tilt sensor

An optical tilt sensor was developed and its performance was investigated. The tilt sensor set-up consisted of a laser light source, lenses and an image sensor. A precision reference tilt sensor was also installed on the same stage, and the measurement results of tilt angles using the optical and reference tilt sensors were correlated. The correlation coefficient (R-value) obtained under ideal conditions was 0.99454, indicating that the optical tilt sensor could produce as accurate measurements as the precision reference tilt sensor. The R-value decreased to 0.97714 and 0.93209 when the image sensor was shifted backwards and forwards from the focal plane by 1 mm, respectively. The R-value decreased to 0.96840 when the tilt sensor was performed with the room light turned on. There were not significant differences in the measurement results obtained with air conditioners turned on and off, indicating that the optical tilt sensor was robust and was not sensitive to the surrounding air turbulence. These findings are useful for the final design of the optical tilt sensor.     

Flexible laser diode trace gas sensor based on cavity ringdown spectroscopy with an optical fiber-coupled high-finesse external-cavity diode laser

A flexible and portable trace nitrogen dioxide sensor based on cavity ringdown spectroscopy using an optical fiber-coupled high-finesse cavity was successfully demonstrated. Tailoring the spatial mode matching condition of the core of an optical fiber and high-finesse external cavity allows for effective optical feedback into an antireflection-coated laser diode for stable resonant enhancement of the external cavity. The external cavity, which works as a ringdown cavity, could be remotely located from the light source and receiver section by only a single mode optical fiber. The sensitivity was found to be 1.0×10⁻⁷ cm⁻¹ in a compact 1-cm³ ringdown cavity volume.     

Study of nitro aromatic explosives sensor based on fluorescence quenching

A nitro aromatic explosives sensor based on fluorescence quenching was studied in this paper. U-shaped plastic optical fiber was used as sensor head and light emitting conjugated polymer MEH-PPV as fluorescence indictor. The light source was modulated sinusoidal to eliminate the external light disturbance. TNT quenching characteristics of fluorescence intensity was measured. When TNT concentration is lower than 10 mg/ml, the relationship between fluorescence intensity and TNT concentration is linearly, when TNT concentration is higher than 10 mg/100 ml the obtained characteristics showed deviation from linear relation described by Stern–Volmer equation.     

中低轨可见光遥感器光学系统方案的优化

可见光遥感器光学系统可以采用折射系统、折反系统和反射系统来实现。长焦距,宽光谱,体积小是中低轨可见光遥感器光学系统设计的难点,针对f=400mm,F=2.0,2W=3°的可见光遥感器系统的要求,分别设计了折射系统,R-C改进型折反系统和离轴三反系统的遥感器光学系统,这三个系统均能满足遥感系统的技术要求,并分析了每个系统的特点。     

适用于色敏解调的光位移传感器宽带LED

为保证光位移传感器的工作性能,输入光源在500~800 nm波长范围内需具有较高的光谱能量,照明用LED波长在700 nm以上光谱能量陡降,限制了传感器的工作范围.针对照明用LED光谱能量不足的问题,研制出适用于色敏解调光位移传感器的宽带LED光源.首先利用单色仪对光位移传感器色敏元件WS7.56的性能进行了测试,依据色敏解调结果提出了光位移传感器正常工作所需的输入光源的光谱能量阈值.在照明用LED光谱特性基础上,配比掺杂氮氧化物红色荧光粉提升LED红光及近红外光光谱能量,得到了满足输入光源光谱能量阈值的宽带LED.最后,对该宽带LED光位移传感器进行了位移测量实验,实验结果较使用照明用LED光源有明显改善,位移解调线性度良好.本文研制的宽带LED光源体积小、效率高,是光位移传感器较为理想的宽带光源.     

Effect of the Pd-Au thin film thickness uniformity on the performance of an optical fiber hydrogen sensor

Thin alloy film of Pd and Au, formed by simultaneous electron-beam and thermal evaporation techniques, respectively, is used in the design of an optical fiber hydrogen sensor. The sensor consists of a multimode fiber (MMF) in which a short section of single mode fiber (SMF), coated with the Pd-Au thin film, is inserted. Due to core diameter mismatch, the SMF cladding guides light, allowing the interaction between the sensing layer and the guided light. When the sensor is exposed to hydrogen, the Pd-Au layer refractive index diminishes and causes attenuation changes on the transmitted light. Several samples with different layer thickness uniformity were fabricated and tested in a very simple experimental set-up. We have observed that the sensor signal change is dependant on layer thickness uniformity, since the effective interaction length between the evanescent field and the sensing layer is increased. By contrast, such uniformity practically has no influence on the time response of the sensor. The resulting Pd-Au film can detect 4% hydrogen with a response time of 15 s.     

基于反射法的光纤位移 振动传感器优化设计

采用非相干光作为光源,以平面镜为反射面,对光纤位移 振动传感器的性能进行研究。推导出光纤输出功率与测量距离的解析表达式,并详细探讨了不同光纤半径、光纤数值孔径、发射光纤和接收光纤间距、发射光纤和接收光纤轴线夹角下输出功率比与测量距离之间的内禀关系。仿真结果表明:光纤半径越小,光纤间距越大,可以测试的距离范围越小;光纤数值孔径、光纤轴线夹角越小,可以测试的距离范围越小。通过分析不同情况下,输出功率比随测量距离变化的关系,可以在实际工程应用中根据测量需要选择设计合适的传感器。此外,还对测量误差进行了分析,得到光纤轴线夹角越小,测量距离的范围越大,误差率越小,当光纤轴线夹角为0.25时,误差率约为1%。     

Temperature-Insensitive Fibre-Optic Acceleration Sensor Based on Intensity-Referenced Fibre Bragg Gratings

A temperature-insensitive acceleration sensor using two fibre Bragg gratings （FBGs）, based on reflection spectrum intensity modulation and optical power detection, is proposed and demonstrated. A cantilever beam is used to generate acceleration-induced axial strain along two sensing gratings, which are glued on the two opposite surfaces of the beam. Because the two gratings operate within the linear spectral range of a light source, formed by a thermally-tunable extrinsic Fabry-Perot optical filter, the intensity difference of the two reflections from the gratings is proportional to the acceleration applied. This eliminates the need for sophisticated wavelength interrogation of the gratings, and it also endows the sensor with immunity to temperature variation. Compared with a commercial micromachined accelerometer, the sensor is proven to be capable of accurately detecting acceleration.     

Intensity modulated silver coated glass optical fiber refractive index sensor

Miniature optical fiber sensors with thin films as sensitive elements could open new fields for optical fiber sensor applications. Thin films work as sensitive elements and a transducer to get response and feedback from environments, in which optical fibers act as a signal carrier. A novel Ag coated intensity modulated optical fiber sensor based on refractive index changes using IR and UV-Vis(UV-visible) light sources is proposed. The sensor with an IR light source has higher sensitivity compared to a UV-Vis source. When the refractive index is enhanced to 1.38, the normalized intensity of IR and UV-Vis light diminishes to 0.2 and 0.8, respectively.     

Ultra-long multicolor belts and unique morphologies of tin-doped zinc oxide nanostructures

We demonstrate the synthesis, characterization and application of pure and tin (Sn) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures with unique optical properties. Pencil-shaped nanorods were synthesized using a mixture of pure ZnO and carbon as starting material. The growth mechanism of these nanorods is discussed in detail. Sn-doped ultra-long belt-shape ZnO structures show many different colors in a single belt under fluorescent light in an optical microscope. These different colors are attributed to the presence of different defects in the ZnO lattice. X-ray diffraction and UV–VIS spectroscopy results are in good agreement with each other. A major application for these belts is likely to be in a single-particle sensor. A single belt based UV sensor is also fabricated and the results suggest that these photoconducting belts can serve as highly sensitive UV-light detectors.     

Design and performance of a plastic optical fiber leakage sensor

In this article design and operation of a plastic optical fiber (POF) sensor based on the unconventional light leakage from one fiber to another one causing intensity modulation are presented. The dominant loss mechanism was found to be the evanescent loss and based on this phenomenon the optical fiber sensor was designed. The penetration depth of evanescent wave as a function of different refractive index of cladding was calculated. Operation of this sensor was tested as a liquid level sensor for different liquids and the experimental results are compared. The dry (air interface layer) and wet output (liquid interface layer) signals for this probe were measured for a series of measurements and important factors concerning sensor operation are described. The precision of measured values, reproducibility of the results (1.35% error), and the stability of sensing operation as a function of time at different launching powers are also reported (0.85% error). The reported results for this design are promising and verify the successful operation of such a device as a liquid level probe and also as an on/off level switch.     

埋入式光纤法布里—珀罗温度和应变传感器模型研究

研究了埋入式内置和外置型法布里－珀罗光纤传感器模型，这一框蒋 传感器中应变和温度的变化同反射光强联系起来，其中；子模型Ⅰ建立了传感器内的温度与应变同传感器长度变化及传感器光学性质变化的函数关系；子模型Ⅱ建立了传感器长度和光学性质的变化同反射光强变化的函数关系。     

Multi-point abnormal-temperature warning sensor system with?different thresholds

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a time-division-multiplexing-based (TDM-based) multi-point abnormal-temperature warning sensor system with different thresholds. A multi-channel fiber Bragg grating (FBG) serving as the wavelength selector is employed in the fiber ring laser to generate a multi-wavelength pulsed light source. The sensor array is composed of multiple uniform sensing FBGs at different positions and with different nominal wavelengths. The warning signal is obtained by only monitoring the time slot between the injected pulse and the reflected pulse. The measurement range and resolution are theoretically discussed and experimentally demonstrated.     

Multi-wavelength laser sensor for intruder detection and discrimination

An intruder detection and discrimination sensor with improved optical design is developed using lasers of different wavelengths to demonstrate the concept of discrimination over a distance of 6 m. A distinctive feature of optics is used to provide additional transverse laser beam scanning. The sample objects used to demonstrate the concept of discrimination over a distance of 6 m are leaf, bark, black fabric, PVC, wood and camouflage material. A camouflage material is chosen to illustrate the discrimination capability of the sensor. The sensor utilizes a five-wavelength laser combination module, which sequentially emits identically-polarized laser light beams along one optical path. A cylindrical quasi-optical cavity with improved optical design generates multiple laser light beams for each laser. The intensities of the reflected light beams from the different spots are detected using a high speed area scan image sensor. Object discrimination and detection is based on analyzing the Gaussian profile of reflected light at the different wavelengths. The discrimination between selected objects is accomplished by calculating four different slopes from the objects' reflectance spectra at the wavelengths 473 nm, 532 nm, 635 nm, 670 nm and 785 nm. Furthermore, the camouflage material, which has complex patterns within a single sample, is also detected and discriminated over a 6 m range by scanning the laser beam spots along the transverse direction.     

Optical performance simulation and optimization for CMOS image sensor pixels

Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to perform three dimension simulations for the optical performance of 1.75 μm pitch pixels of CMOS image sensor. A three dimension pixel model for CMOS image sensor pixels is set up. Micro-lens optimization, dielectric stack height reduction can decrease the optical power loss. A SiN layer with proper thickness can reduce the reflection at the Si–SiO₂ interface. A high refractive index lightpipe is proposed to confine the light within the pixel. The simulation results show that the optical efficiency of the optimized 1.75 μm pixel compare to that before optimized is promoted by more than 10% and the cross-talk is reduced by 50%.     

Evanescent-wave optical Cr VI sensor with a flexible fused-silica capillary as a transducer

A light-guiding, flexible fused-silica (FFS) capillary has been used in designing an optical fiber Cr VI sensor for monitoring Cr VI ions in water samples. The FFS capillary is similar to a conventional silica optical fiber in that it can guide light in the wavelength region from the UV to the near IR but different from a conventional optical fiber in that it is a tubular waveguide. The inner surface of the FFS capillary is fused silica, which one can modify to design an optical fiber chemical sensor. The FFS capillary has a cladding layer plus a protective polymer coating on its outside surface. The cladding layer ensures the ability of the FFS capillary to guide light. The protective coating increases the FFS capillary's mechanical strength and makes it robust for practical applications. Compared with conventional silica optical fibers, it is much easier and more feasible to use this FFS capillary to fabricate long-path (tens of meters to thousands of meters) evanescent-wave based chemical sensors. We describe a Cr VI sensor based on the intrinsic evanescent-wave absorption by Cr VI ions in a water sample filled inside the capillary as an example of use of a FFS capillary in chemical sensor design. This simple sensor, using a 30 m light-guiding FFS capillary as a transducer, has the capability of detecting as little as 31 parts in 10(9) of Cr VI in a water sample, which is close to the detection limit of some sophisticated, expensive analytical instruments.     

一种胶片式的静态光学目标模拟器

光学成像敏感器是卫星姿态控制分系统的重要组成部分,用于月面景象的获取,可为月面着陆器完成障碍识别、路径规划和安全区域选取等功能提供图像信息来源。为实现光学成像敏感器装星后设备功能和性能的检测,需要一种可在室内为光学成像敏感器提供月面场景信息的光学仪器。设计和研制了一种胶片式的静态光学目标模拟器,该目标模拟器以胶片作为图像源,通过积分球均匀照明系统将胶片照亮,并经由光学镜头将胶片图像投射至无穷远处,从而供光学成像敏感器接收。设计完成的静态光学目标模拟器视场≥30°×30°,入瞳直径Φ5 mm,入瞳距离为41 mm,镜头焦距44.78 mm,图像像素分辨率≤1 024×1 024,各项指标均达到了光学成像敏感器装星后光闭路试验的要求。     

Water sensor using macrobending-sensitive fiber for real-time submersion monitoring

A fast reusable water sensor for long-distance real-time submersion monitoring was fabricated using a macrobending-sensitive fiber (MSF). The proposed water sensor consists of floating matter, periodic macrobending deformers, and a MSF. In this structure, the floating matter moves up and down according to the buoyant force of water, thereby controlling the bending loss of the MSF and allowing the proposed sensor to detect submersion. A basic bending experiment was conducted using a MSF and macrobending deformer, and the results used to fabricate an efficient water sensor. In contrast to existing sensors where the optical loss increases in the case of submersion, the optical loss of the fabricated sensor decreases due to the buoyant force when the selected area is submerged. As such, the fabricated sensor is able to transmit submersion information further than sensors that detect submersion by increasing the optical loss, and it is unaffected by environmental factors, such as humidity and pollutants in the water. The proposed sensor detects submersion by monitoring a 16 dB optical power change of 1550 nm, and the change in the optical power of the fabricated sensor is only affected by the buoyant force. In addition, the proposed water sensor quickly returns to its initial state when the water disappears, and the insertion loss when it is connected to a single-mode fiber (SMF) at both ends using a connector is only −1.2 dB at 1550 nm.     

Integrated optical proximity microsensor

This paper presents the design, simulation and experimental results of an integrated proximity sensor manufactured on silicon substrate. The sensor was designed for microrobotic applications like integration into a microgripper arm or detection of the position of gripper arms relative to an object. The structure is based on an SU8 polymeric optical waveguide splitted into three arms, integrated with a multielement photodetector on silicon substrate. Each element of the photodetector is a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiode with Ti/Al Schottky interdigitated electrodes.The operation principle of this sensor consists in the light coupling in the central arm of the optical waveguide, interaction with the object (reflection) of the radiation which exits from this principal arm, the coupling of the “affected” radiation which comes back through the end of the waveguide and its splitting into three arms of the optical waveguide. From the optical waveguide, the light is coupled in photodiode and the photogenerated carriers are collected to the electrodes giving the electrical signal which is read and processed in real time.The optimal parameters of the waveguide (width, thicknesses of the core and the claddings) of the photodetector and the coupling between them were defined by simulation, using FDTD and BeamProp method (Opti FDTD software). Our microsensor can detect the position of an object in the range of 0-300 μm, as position sensor and with high precision in the range of zero to twice the wavelength, as proximity sensor.     

激光尘埃粒子计数器微型光学传感器的研究

研制成功便携式激光尘埃粒子计数器的核心部件———微型光学传感器。该传感器采用直角散射光收集形式,以高功率半导体激光器作为光源,同时采用高性能的PIN型光电二极管作为光电探测器。散射光收集系统为单一大数值孔径的球面反射镜,其对粒子散射光的收集角范围从20°到160°。粒子散射光信号是脉冲信号,其频谱成份主要在高频段,所以在PIN型光电二极管后用一个带通式前置放大器来消除外界的低频噪声,根据米氏散射理论计算了该光学传感器的光散射响应特性,并用聚苯乙烯标准粒子实测了该光学传感器的性能。结果表明,该系统具有高的信噪比、计数效率和尺寸分辨本领。