The Virgo interferometric gravitational antenna

The interferometric gravitational wave detectors represent the ultimate evolution of the classical Michelson interferometer. In order to measure the signal produced by the passage of a gravitational wave, they aim to reach unprecedent sensitivities in measuring the relative displacements of the mirrors. One of them, the 3-km-long Virgo gravitational wave antenna, which will be particularly sensitive in the low-frequency range (10–100 Hz), is presently in its commissioning phase. In this paper the various techniques developed in order to reach its target extreme performance are outlined.     

Strain and tilt measurement using multi-point diffraction strain sensor

A multi-point diffraction strain sensor (MDSS) was developed earlier by us for strain measurement with variable sensitivity and measurement range using a microlens array. The technique is now extended to measure both tilt and non-uniform strain with a sensitivity of 0.41 mε/pixel and 4.7 mrad/pixel. The validation was made through comparison of the strain measured using MDSS with that by a micro-Moiré interferometer incorporated with Gabor filtering method, while the tilt is compared with derivatives of the surface profile measured by a confocal microscope.     

An off-axis Hartmann sensor for the measurement of absorption-induced wavefront distortion in advanced gravitational wave interferometers

We describe a novel off-axis Hartmann wavefront sensor, developed for the measurement of wavefront distortions induced in the mirrors (test masses) of advanced gravitational wave interferometers by residual absorption of the circulating laser power.     

Temperature-insensitive FBG tilt sensor with a large measurement range

A novel two-dimensional tilt sensor with a large measurement range is demonstrated by using four fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) attached on a cylindrical cantilever-based pendulum. Experimental results show that tilt accuracy of ±0.2° and resolution of 0.013° have been achieved in the range of −40°-40°. The temperature effect is automatically eliminated without additional temperature compensation elements.     

Thin walled Nb tubes for suspending test masses in interferometric gravitational wave detectors

In a previous Letter, we have shown that the use of orthogonal ribbons could provide a better mirror suspension technique in interferometric gravitational wave antennas. One of the key improvements presented by the orthogonal ribbon is the reduction in the number of violin string modes in the direction of the laser. We have considered more elaborate geometries in recent simulations and obtained a suspension that provides further reduction in the number of violin string modes in the direction of the laser, as well as in the direction orthogonal to the laser. This thin walled niobium tube suspension exhibits a reduction in the number of violin modes to 5 in each direction up to a frequency of 5 kHz. Furthermore, the violin mode thermal noise peaks can be reduced in amplitude by 30 dB.     

一种基于马赫-曾德干涉仪的全光纤传感器双参数测量技术

提出一种干涉式全光纤传感器,能够同时实现对折射率和轴向拉力或温度进行双参数测量。传感器由一个微腔和一个纤芯失配衰减器组成。其中微腔结构是由飞秒激光加工光纤纤芯形成,直径和深度分别是6μm和2.5μm。该干涉式传感器可以获得20dB的高品质干涉对比度。传感器透射谱波长为1496.68nm和1533.18nm的两个衰减峰对应的折射率灵敏度分别为-29.91nm/RIU和-16.72nm/RIU,拉力灵敏度分别为-1.55pm/με和-0.31pm/με。实验结果表明,传感器通过灵敏度矩阵可以同时测量折射率和轴向拉力或温度两个参数。     

Data-dependent system approach for strain measurement in interferometric fiber optic sensor

A fiber optic interferometric sensor (Mach–Zehnder type) based on data-dependent system is presented for strain measurement. The interferogram recorded from the interferometer has been digitized and characterized by means of an autoregressive model. The phase change due to the measurand has been obtained from the self coherence function of the interferogram. The modulation of group delay and dispersion are obtained from the phase curve. Results for applied strain in the range of 5–10 μ strain are presented.     

Temperature-insensitive 2-D tilt sensor by incorporating fiber Bragg gratings with a hybrid pendulum

A novel two-dimensional (2-D) tilt sensor is demonstrated by incorporating only two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) with a hybrid pendulum transducer. The pendulum transducer is specially designed with hollow half at the upper side and solid half at the lower side. Two FBGs were attached on the surface separated by one fourth of the circumference of the rod of pendulum and across the interface of its hollow and solid parts. Reflection peaks of FBGs split by the applied tilt angle. 2-D tilt angle can be determined by monitoring the wavelength separations of the split peak in two FBGs, which is inherently insensitive to temperature. In the experiment, a sensitivity of 0.054 nm/° over a wide range of 20º has been achieved, with the accuracy of 0.27°.     

Demonstration of high extinction ratio modal interference in a two-mode fiber and its applications for all-fiber comb filter and high-temperature sensor

We show that high extinction ratio (>20 dB) modal interference in a two-mode dispersion compensating fiber can be utilized to build a compact, easy-to-fabricate tunable all-fiber optical comb filter. Wavelength tunability over the full free spectral range of the comb filter is demonstrated with an electrical power of 115mW using an on-fiber thin film micro-heater deposited directly on the fiber. In another configuration, the comb filter is used as a temperature sensor with dynamic range of >300 °C and sensitivity of <0.1 °C. The temperature sensor is capable of measuring a temperature as high as 500 °C.     

实现微位移测量的非本征法布里-珀罗干涉型光纤传感器

从光纤耦合和多光束干涉的原理出发,建立了非本征型法布里_珀罗干涉仪光纤传感器的理论模型,得到了用光谱法进行绝对距离测量的公式。设计出了传感器探头的结构,并搭建了系统。用LED作为宽带光源所得到的反射光谱可用于实际样品的微位移测量。实验结果表明,该传感器理论模型的数值模拟结果与实验结果是一致的。对实验数据进行了误差分析,所得到的测量精度可达到1μm。     

Pulsed interferometric optical fibre sensor detecting wiretapping in long transmission lines

A modified optical fibre based Mach-Zehnder interferometer was applied as a sensor to detect wiretapping in long transmission optical fibre lines. The signal consisting of short pulses (around 1?ns) was launched to the input of the interferometer based on the polarization maintaining fibres and polarization elements. When the sensing line was undisturbed, detectors registered only a single pulse. The additional two side pulses appear, if the wiretapping attempt took place. For robust detection of any alarm situation we proposed two-criteria algorithm to minimize false alarm rate. Moreover, slow environmental fluctuations were continuously monitored and compensated by polarization controllers. We measured frequency characteristics of the sensor and performed a hundred wiretapping attempts, which proved high performance of the sensor.     

A polarimetric glucose sensor using a liquid-crystal polarization modulator driven by a sinusoidal signal

Rather than using a conventional Faraday modulator, this study adopts a liquid-crystal based rotator to modulate the azimuth of the linear polarized light in a sinusoidal signal for the measurement of glucose concentrations. The tilt angle of the LC director would vary as a sinusoidal-like function; however the modulating frequency in the sensing system is the double of the driving signal. A new signal demodulation algorithm, therefore, is developed that enables the polarization rotation angle corresponding to the glucose concentration to be derived. The standard deviation in rotation angle level of 0.00551° has been obtained, with a 0.998773 correlation coefficient between the reference and the measured values. The proposed measurement method has a minimum resolvable concentration of 0.2 g/dl. Compared to its conventional counterparts, the developed polarimeter potentially has a simpler structure, fewer optical elements, and a cheaper modulator component.     

Fiber sensor based on Lophine sensitive layer for nitrate detection in drinking water

A new characterization of Lophine as a sensitive layer to measure Nitrate in drinking water is presented in this paper. The characterization was performed with a standard slide and a standard multimode fiber coated with a Lophine sensitive layer (2,4,5-Triphenylimidazol (C₂₁H₁₆N₂)). Spectral characterization has been conducted in the wavelength range from 300 to 1100 nm. We have demonstrated that Lophine can be used as a fiber sensor for the detection of Nitrate in drinking water. The sensing properties of the fiber sensor were analyzed at room temperature. Successful results were achieved when sensing Nitrate in the range between 1 mg/l and 70 mg/l. The response time was 20 ms and the recovery time was 40 ms.     

An optical fibre pH sensor based on dye doped mesostructured silica

This paper describes the synthesis and optical pH sensing properties of a pH indicator dye activated mesostructured silica coated optical fibre. The pH-sensitive dye bromothymol blue was incorporated into the mesostructure sol precursor and thin films/coatings were used for pH-sensing applications without prior removal of the surfactant. The pH sensitivity range and operating wavelength were analysed by absorption measurements on layer dip-coated on glass slides. The pH sensing properties of coated optical fibre were tested by evanescent wave method. Experiments were carried out by using a series of solutions of known pH. No leaching was observed (except at very high pH) and an excellent reversibility was obtained between pH=2 and 5.     

Quasi-distributed displacement sensor for structural monitoring using a commercial OTDR

A quasi-distributed displacement sensor for structural monitoring using an optical time domain reflectometer is demonstrated. Four displacement sensing heads are placed along a standard single mode optical fibre in several locations with different intervals. Their configurations introduce power loss through the decrease of their fibre loop radius when displacement is applied. The decrease of the light intensity with displacement variation is reported. Losses of 9 dB for a 120 mm displacement with a sensitivity of 0.027 dB/mm are reported. The quasi-distributed configuration is able to address sensors with 1 m distance resolution between them.     

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.     

Radio-frequency interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating sensor in the configuration of a fiber laser with external cavities

A fiber laser sensor, which consists of two coupled cavities based on three fiber Bragg gratings (two of them acting as sensing elements) and is interrogated via the longitudinal mode beating frequency, is presented. The two resonant cavities have lengths of 4250 m and 4297 m, respectively. Their beating frequency is of the order of 24 kHz, and its shift as a function of the variation of the period of one (or both) of the sensing gratings, induced by strain or temperature changes, can be measured by a radio-frequency analyzer. The system is suitable for long-distance sensing with high spatial resolution and high sensitivity.     

Optimization for high precision Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor

A comprehensive noise model about digital camera which is a main component of SHWFS is constructed, including the readout noise, the photon shot noise, the quantization noise and the response un-uniformity. Based on the noise model, the spot centroid errors caused by each kind of noise are analyzed, respectively. And then the synthetic error from all the noise is calculated. The result demonstrates that the limit of the spot centroid accuracy is 1% pixels. At last, the crossing error caused by the high order diffraction spots is analyzed. It is approximately proportional to the secondary spots number. So the structure of the microlens array must be optimized together with the digital camera when designing SHWFS.     

A simple high-sensitivity interferometric position sensor for test mass control on an advanced LIGO interferometer

A small Michelson interferometer has been configured as a tracking mirror displacement sensor in order to achieve both large dynamic range (2.1 mm) and excellent sensitivity across a broad frequency range (6Hz–3 kHz). The interferometer is illuminated by a simple LED, uses broadband, non-polarising beamsplitters and contains no lensing optics. A DC-coupled balanced detector provides an error signal that is used to position the tracking mirror of the Michelson interferometer so as to maintain an interferometer operating position close to the centre of a particular fringe. The total interferometric sensor provides a small, simple and cost-effective means of achieving high-resolution displacement measurements.