Highly sensitive long-period fiber-grating strain sensor with low temperature sensitivity

A long-period fiber-grating sensor with a high strain sensitivity of -7.6 pm/microepsilon and a low temperature sensitivity of 3.91 pm/ degrees C is fabricated by use of focused CO(2) laser beam to carve periodic grooves on a large- mode-area photonic crystal fiber. Such a strain sensor can effectively reduce the cross-sensitivity between strain and temperature, and the temperature-induced strain error obtained is only 0.5 microepsilon/ degrees C without using temperature compensation.     

In-fiber polymer-glass hybrid waveguide Bragg grating

A 1.2 microm (height) x 125 microm (depth) x 500 microm (length) microslot along a fiber Bragg grating was engraved across the optical fiber by femtosecond laser patterning and chemical etching. By filling epoxy in the slot and subsequent UV curing, a hybrid waveguide grating structure with a polymer core and glass cladding was fabricated. The obtained device is highly thermally responsive with linear coefficient of 211 pm/ degrees C.     

Optical fiber strain and temperature sensor based on an in-line Mach–Zehnder interferometer using thin-core fiber

We propose and demonstrate a fiber in-line Mach–Zehnder interferometer using thin-core fibers. This in-line interferometer is composed of a short section of thin-core fiber inserted between two single mode fibers (SMF), and demonstrated as a strain and temperature sensor in this study. A strain sensitivity of ?1.83 pm/με with a measurement range of 0?2000 με, and the temperature sensitivity of ?72.89 pm/°C with a temperature variation of 50 °C are achieved. We also discussed that the influence of strain and temperature change on the relative power ratios among the excited cladding modes in thin-core fibers.     

Two types of resonances in long-period gratings induced by arc discharges in boron/ germanium co-doped fibers

We demonstrate that under certain conditions it is possible to fabricate in a B/Ge co-doped fiber an arc-induced long-period grating whose spectrum contains a dual set of resonances. These two sets of resonances are formed by distinct mechanisms and are caused by coupling to cladding modes of different symmetries. They behave differently at high temperatures: the set produced by symmetric perturbation disappears during annealing at a temperature of 800 degrees C, while the other set produced by an antisymmetric mechanism can withstand temperatures above 1000 degrees C.     

Widely tunable asymmetric long-period fiber grating with high sensitivity using optical polymer on laser-ablated cladding

We demonstrate high-efficiency, wideband-tunable, laser-ablated long-period fiber gratings that use an optical polymer overlay. Portions of the fiber cladding are periodically removed by CO(2) laser pulses to induce periodic index changes for coupling the core mode into cladding modes. An optical polymer with a high thermo-optic coefficient with a dispersion distinct from that of silica is used on a deep-ablated cladding structure so that the effective indices of cladding modes become dispersive and the resonant wavelengths can be efficiently tuned. The tuning efficiency can be as high as 15.8 nm/ degrees C, and the tuning range can be wider than 105 nm (1545-1650 nm).     

Development of a multiwavelength Raman fiber laser based on phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings for long-distance remote-sensing applications

We propose a simple and flexible multiwavelength Raman fiber laser based on phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and a tunable chirped FBG. Using a simple multiwavelength Raman laser configuration with a single phase-shifted FBG and a tunable chirped FBG, we readily achieved simultaneous two-channel sensing probes with a high extinction ratio of more than 50 dB over a 50-km distance. The multiwavelength output was stable and the peak fluctuation was less than 0.5 dB. The temperature and strain sensitivities are estimated to be 10.1 pm/degrees C and 7.5 pm/microstrain, respectively.     

光纤光栅温度与轴向应变响应机制分析

本文对温度和轴向应变对长周期光纤光栅和Bragg光纤光栅耦合波长的影响机制作出分析,通过有代表性的举例计算数值给出了各因素对耦合波长的影响,指出轴向应变对耦合波长的影响除了来自光弹性效应带来的光纤折射率的改变外,光纤半径的变化,特别是光栅周期的改变也起重要作用.对比分析找到了长周期光纤光栅与Bragg光纤光栅温度,应变响应系数数量级异同的原因.     

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain using a long-period fiber grating with a micro-taper

An all-fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) consisting of a long-period fiber grating with a micro-taper is proposed for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain. The experimental results demonstrate that the temperature and strain sensitivities of the proposed MZI are 83 pm/°C and ?2.6 pm/με, respectively. The strain sensitivity is 20 times as high as that of a long-period fiber written by CO₂ laser pulses combined with a fiber bitaper. In addition, the interferometer requires only a common single-mode fiber, and it is easy to fabricate and is inexpensive for temperature and strain sensing applications.     

Resonance-temperature-insensitive phase-shifted long-period fiber gratings induced by surface deformation with anomalous strain characteristics

Received February 18, 2005 We report the fabrication of phase-shifted long-period fiber gratings by use of a CO2 laser with a surface deformation technique and a point-by-point method. Due to periodicities that are structurally induced by a heat source and refractive-index modulation caused by a perturbational photoelastic effect, the results of thermal testing show a grating temperature coefficient of 28 pm/ degrees C at a range from 22 to 180 degrees C, indicating that the band rejections of the grating that is formed remain unchanged in their resonant strengths even at temperatures up to the fictive point of fiberglass. It is found for what is believed to be the first time that such a grating possesses an anomalous strain behavior of resonance with -1.52 x 10(-4) dB/muepsilon for the right notch and 7.05 x 10(-5) dB/muepsilon for the left notch.     

长周期光纤光栅模式与耦合的研究

长周期光纤光栅是在光纤纤芯中沿轴向形成折射率周期性调制的带阻型光纤器件。与光纤布拉格光栅不同，它表现为前向传播的纤芯基模与同向传播的各阶次包层模式在特定波长的耦合。研究了纤芯基模、包层模式（HE1t/EH1t）及其有效折射率随波长的变化，研究了纤芯基模与包层模式（HE1t/EH1t）的耦合系数。研究表明，纤芯基模与一阶低次包层模式的有效折射率随波长增大而减小，纤芯基模与HE1t产生的耦合系数远大于与EH1t的耦合系数，并且包层模式次数较低时，耦合系数随次数的升高而增加。这与以前的研究结果有所不同。     

Coupling between counterpropagating cladding modes in fiber Bragg gratings

We present an experimental demonstration of energy transfer between counterpropagating cladding modes in a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). A strong FBG written in a standard photosensitive optical fiber is illuminated with a single cladding mode, and the power transferred between the forward propagating cladding mode and different backward propagating cladding modes is measured by using two auxiliary long period gratings. Resonances between cladding modes having 30 pm bandwidth and 8 dB rejection have been observed.     

基于Michelson干涉仪的高灵敏度光纤高温探针传感器

提出了一种简单的高灵敏度的光纤高温探针传感器, 该传感器由一小段多模光纤和一端镀有银膜的单模光纤熔接而成. 由于单模光纤和多模光纤的纤芯直径不同, 当光波从多模光纤传输至多模光纤和单模光纤的熔接端面时, 一部分纤芯光耦合进包层, 因为单模光纤纤芯的折射率和包层的折射率不同, 不同模式的光经过银膜反射后在多模光纤内重新耦合进单模光纤, 最终形成干涉.随着外界温度的升高, 干涉谱峰值会向长波方向漂移. 实验结果证明这种传感器在470 ℃–600 ℃范围内具有很好的稳定性, 线性度达99.7%, 灵敏度为120 pm/℃, 可作为远距离反射型探针温度传感器, 在石油探测和油气田开发等领域有着广泛的应用前景. 关键词： 光纤传感 温度测量 Michelson干涉     

高灵敏度光纤应变传感器

提出一种基于锥形光纤和光纤F-P腔组合结构的光纤应变传感器。该传感器包含单模光纤拉锥形成的锥区和石英毛细管构建的F-P腔2个应变敏感区域。理论分析了光波在该传感器中的传播过程,获得了该传感器的光强传输函数。由于锥形光纤中激发出的包层高阶模参与干涉,导致传感器干涉光谱具有调制特性。实验获得了该传感器的干涉光谱,通过分析谐振波长偏移或消光比变化对应变实现独立测量,在0~500 με的测量范围内,该传感器的应变灵敏度为14.6 pm/με。利用锥形光纤引发的模式干涉和F-P腔的双光束干涉效应共同作用形成受调制的干涉谱型进行应变传感,应变灵敏度高,同时具备2种独立的应变检测手段(谐振波长和消光比检测)。     

Measurement of refractive-index variation with temperature by use of long-period fiber gratings

The thermo-optic coefficient of the core material of a fiber is analyzed by use of a pair of long-period fiber gratings. First the effective index difference between the core and the cladding modes is measured from the peaks of the interference fringe generated by the grating pair. The order of the cladding mode is decided by the cutoff wavelength and the numerical aperture of the fiber. The material index of the fiber core is obtained in terms of wavelength. At each wavelength the index is chosen to minimize the difference between the measured and the calculated spectra of the grating pair. Finally the thermo-optic coefficient of the fiber core is calculated by repetition of the measurement at different temperatures. With a germanosilicate-core fiber and a boron codoped germanosilicate-core fiber, the thermo-optic coefficients were 1.1x10(-5)/( degrees )C and 0.75x10(-5)/( degrees )C, respectively.     

Strain and temperature discrimination technique by use of A FBG written in erbium doped fiber

We propose and demonstrate strain and temperature discrimination technique using a single fiber Bragg grating (FBG) written in the core of an erbium doped fiber. We observed that amplified spontaneous emission power varying linearly from the erbium doped fiber with temperature which determines temperature changes and strain is estimated by subtracting the wavelength shift due to temperature change, from the measured shift corresponding to the dip in the transmission spectrum of the FBG. A simple and compact FBG sensor is presented with improved rms errors of 21.2 μ? and 1 °C over ranges of 0–800 μ? and 40–95 °C, respectively. The sensor is shown to have strain and temperature sensitivity of 0.8 pm/μ? and 12 pm/°C.     

Reduction of Bragg Grating-Induced Coupling to Cladding Modes

We discuss fiber designs that have been suggested for the reduction of Bragg-grating-induced coupling to cladding modes. The discussion is based on a theoretical approach that includes the effect of asymmetry in the UV-induced index grating, made by UV-side writing. Experimental results from gratings in a depressed-cladding fiber are compared with simulations. The model gives good agreement with the measured transmission spectrum and accounts for the pronounced coupling to asymmetrical cladding modes, even when the grating is written with smallest possible blaze. The asymmetry causing this is accounted for by the unavoidable attenuation of the UV light. It is found for the considered fiber designs that a high numerical-aperture fiber increases the spectral separation between the Bragg resonance and the onset of cladding-mode losses. A depressed-cladding fiber reduces the coupling strength to the lower order cladding modes, and the UV-sensitive cladding design reduces the cladding-mode coupling loss. The analysis suggests that the UV-sensitive cladding design is the most effective in reducing the cladding-mode-coupling losses.     

倾斜光纤光栅溶液折射率传感器的实验研究

根据倾斜光纤光栅(TFBG)和表面镀金的TFBG传感器测量折射率的基本原理,通过OptiGrating软件模拟了不同浓度溶液下TFBG的透射谱和芯层模与某阶包层模耦合引起的谐振峰,初步得出了TFBG各阶包层模随着外界折射率的增大而向右偏移、在一定的传感范围内中心波长与外界折射率呈线性关系的结论。用小型离子溅射仪对TFBG镀45 nm厚度左右的金膜,并用扫描电镜在微观上观察镀膜效果。通过不同浓度下的NaCl溶液、MgCl₂溶液、CaCl₂溶液实验,对比研究了裸TFBG和镀金TFBG传感器对溶液折射率的传感特性。从而验证了模拟仿真得出的结论并定量分析得知：镀金后具有表面等离子体共振的TFBG溶液折射率灵敏度大于500 nm·RIU-1,而裸TFBG为2 nm·RIU-1左右,大约提高了200～300倍,且在一定范围内中心波长与溶液折射率的线性拟合度都在0.99以上。     

Femtosecond laser microfabricated fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer for sensing applications

We demonstrate a femtosecond laser microfabricated fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer and reveal the dependences of the sensitivities of different environmental parameters on the specifications of the interferometer. A 30-mm-long fiber interferometer at a wavelength of 1593 nm exhibits a temperature sensitivity of 0.103 nm/°C, axial strain sensitivity of -1.35 pm/με, and refractive index sensitivity of -15.294 nm/RIU, respectively. In addition to dependence on interferometer length, the sensitivities are also strongly dependent on the operation wavelength of the selected interference order. When the operation wavelength is selected at 1525 nm, the sensitivities are 0.085 nm/°C, -0.09 pm/με, and -13.824 nm/RIU, respectively.     

Temperature compensation of multimode-interference-based fiber devices

Single-mode-multimode-single-mode (SMS) fiber structures have been demonstrated to be a simple and effective way to realize multimode interference (MMI) in optical fibers. The temperature dependence of the spectral characteristics of SMS devices is investigated. By utilizing the feature that the response spectra of SMS devices with opposite polarities to temperature and axial tensile strain, I demonstrate that temperature compensation of SMS devices can be realized by using materials with a proper coefficient of thermal expansion. A temperature stability of 1.0 pm/ degrees C has been experimentally demonstrated with a ceramic as the packaging material.     

Tunable optical add-drop multiplexer based on long-period fiber gratings for coarse wavelength division multiplexing systems

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a voltage-controllable add-drop multiplexer with a tunable coupler based on long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs). The tunable coupler is based on cladding mode coupling between two parallel LPFGs with divided coil heaters, which controls the resonant wavelength positions of the two LPFGs. The wavelength tunability of the tunable coupler is measured to be -0.45 nm/degrees C in the temperature range from 20 to 120 degrees C. The large tuning range of optical signals (approximately 50.54 nm) from 1502.32 to 1552.86 nm, which covers both the short (S) and the conventional (C) bands, is achieved. The channel isolation is as high as approximately 40 dB. It has several advantages, including a broad tuning range of wavelength in both the S- and C-bands, high channel isolation, no backreflection, and so on.