Reflective fiber-optic refractometer based on a thin-core fiber tailored Bragg grating reflection

A novel reflective refractometer based on a thin-core fiber (TCF) sandwiched between a leading single-mode fiber (SMF) and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) imprinted SMF stub was demonstrated. The reflection from the fiber stub occurs in two well-defined wavelength bands, corresponding to the Bragg core mode and cladding modes. The TCF section functions as a tailorable bridge between the FBG core mode reflection and the surrounding refractive index (SRI). Linear response with enhanced sensitivity of 133.26 dB/refractive index unit for temperature-immune SRI measurement within the biologically desirable sensing range of 1.33-1.41 has been achieved via cost-effective power detection.     

Three-hole microstructured optical fiber for efficient fiber Bragg grating refractometer

We present a photosensitive three-hole microstructured optical fiber specifically designed to improve the refractive index sensitivity of a standard fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor photowritten in the suspended Ge-doped silica core. We describe the specific photowriting procedure used to realize gratings in such a fiber. We then determine their spectral sensitivity to the refractive index changes of material filling the holes surrounding the core. The sensitivity is compared with that of standard FBGs photowritten in a six-hole fiber with a larger core diameter. We demonstrate an improvement in the sensitivity by two orders of magnitude and reach a resolution of 3 x 10(-5) and 6 x 10(-6) around mean refractive index values of 1.33 and 1.40, respectively.     

Fiber Bragg grating strain sensor based on fiber laser

A study on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensor, based on erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser, is presented. A strain-sensing element, FBG, also acts as the lasing wavelength selecting component. When strain is applied on the FBG, the laser cavity loss changes, leading to a modification of the laser transient. Strain measurements are obtained in the time domain by simply measuring the EDF laser build-up time. Relative variation in the build-up time of up to 190%, for a strain range from 0 με to 2350 με, is achieved with a resolution corresponding to a strain of better than 2.35 με. This study demonstrates a novel fiber sensor concept and the technical feasibility to develop fiber strain measurement.     

Distributed three-dimensional fiber Bragg grating refractometer for biochemical sensing

We demonstrate a three-dimensional (3-D) distributed refractometer that measures refractive index in a small volume. The sensor is based on an evanescent-wave fiber Bragg grating that is interrogated by low-coherence spectral interferometry. The measurement can be performed on a short time scale without the need for a mechanical scan. The new sensor was used to simultaneously measure glucose concentration in several droplets along a single sensor and to interrogate the time-dependent evaporation process of a water droplet. The new measurement technique might enable novel 3-D distributed sensors to be developed and multiple discrete measurements to be made in a small volume.     

Determination of thermo-optic coefficient in liquids with fiber Bragg grating refractometer

In this work the thermo-optic coefficients of hydrocarbon samples have been determined using etched fiber Bragg grating (FBG), where the effective refractive index (RI) of the fundamental mode becomes dependent on the surrounding refractive index. The technique is based on the cross-sensitivity that the device presents to temperature and refractive index. The thermal response of FBG is characterized for samples with different refractive indices. The inherent temperature effects are distinguished from the RI, due to induced effects changes in the refractive index caused by the thermo-optic effect. For comparison purposes, literature data has been used to work with such parameters for water. The parameter obtained for ethanol (−3.99 ± 0.20) × 10⁻⁴ °C⁻¹ at 1550 nm is in close proximity with the literature data, −4 × 10⁻⁴ °C⁻¹, in the visible range.     

Fiber torsion sensor demodulated by a high-birefringence fiber Bragg grating

A new high-birefringence (Hi-Bi) fiber torsion sensor demodulated by a Hi-Bi fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is proposed in this study. The twisted Hi-Bi fiber sensor characteristics are analyzed using the Jones matrix. The intensity ratio from two reflected Bragg wavelengths is associated with the twist angle of the measured Hi-Bi fiber. It is found that the twist angle resolution is estimated at around 0.3° under ±0.1 dB readout from an optical spectrum analyzer if the polarization state of the light source is stable. The advantages of this new torsion sensor are: (1) insensitivity to intensity variations from the light source, (2) insensitivity to the torsion gauge length, and (3) absolute measurement in the twist angle. However, the polarization state of light in the proposed method needs to be controlled, and any birefringence change in the twisted Hi-Bi fiber needs to be prevented.     

Single-longitudinal-mode erbium-doped fiber laser based on a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot filter

A novel single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) erbium-doped fiber laser with a simple linear cavity based on a fiber Bragg grating Fabry-Perot filter (FBG-FPF) and a narrowband (～0.06 nm) FBG is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Two uniform FBGs form the FBG-FPF, which has two ultranarrow transmission bands with a bandwidth of 0.12 pm and a wavelength spacing of 0.095 nm. By slightly tuning the central wavelength of the narrowband FBG, SLM lasing at 1549.658 or 1549.563 nm (corresponding to the two transmission peaks of the FBG-FPF) is achieved with a laser output power of ～4 mW, when the pump power is ～75 mW.     

Tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating based on the D-shaped fiber

A novel tunable chirped fiber Bragg grating is realized by bending a piece of D-shaped fiber Bragg grating into a specific shape like the character ‘Ω’. The principle of tuning is demonstrated by numerical simulation. The dispersion of the grating can be tuned while the center wavelength is kept nearly no shift. The experimental results match well with the numerical analysis. The influence from D-shaped fiber’s birefringence and polarization dependent loss is discussed theoretically and experimentally as well. This proposed tuning technique has potential applications in the optical communications and other fiber optics systems.     

基于叠栅的Bragg光纤光栅综合方法的研究

提出一种新的光纤光栅综合方法，将Bragg光纤光栅的层剥离综合算法与光纤叠栅理论结合起来，层剥离综合算法根据需要的反射谱计算出光纤光栅的折射率分布，用多个带切趾函数的光纤叠栅来拟合这个折射率分布，通过改变各叠栅中的相关参数，可以得到适合需要的反射谱，相对误差一般小于4.0%。该方法具有简单、快速、易于实现的特点。     

Dual-wavelength high-power Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser based on a few-mode fiber Bragg grating

We report a high-power dual-wavelength Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser based on a few-mode fiber Bragg grating (FMFBG). The FMFBG was fabricated by using a piece of fiber in a length of fiber with a cutoff wavelength of 1225 nm, which supported two modes at 1060 nm. The laser was pumped by a fiber pigtailed laser diode working at 915 nm. Single-wavelength, dual-wavelength and triple-wavelength laser oscillations were observed when the fiber laser operated under different low pump powers. However, stable dual-wavelength operation was achieved at higher pump power of 3.9 W and remained unchanged until the output power reached 5.67 W under the maximum available pump power of 10.7 W. The laser wavelengths were centered at 1059.12 and 1060.80 nm with a full-width at half-maximum of 37 and 43 pm, respectively. The signal-to-noise-ratio was greater than 50 dB and the beam quality factor (M²) was about 1.9.     

Dual-direction Gires-Tournois etalon based on a single complex fiber Bragg grating

We propose and demonstrate a single fiber Bragg grating-based Gires-Tournois (GT) etalon, which is realized by applying a complex apodization profile on a linearly chirped fiber Bragg grating. Such a GT etalon not only has a simplified fabrication procedure but also can operate in dual directions.     

High-sensitivity compact ultrasonic detector based on a pi-phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating

A highly sensitive compact hydrophone, based on a pi-phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating, has been developed for the measurement of wideband ultrasonic fields. The grating exhibits a sharp resonance, whose centroid wavelength is pressure sensitive. The resonance is monitored by a continuous-wave (CW) laser to measure ultrasound-induced pressure variations within the grating. In contrast to standard fiber sensors, the high finesse of the resonance--which is the reason for the sensor's high sensitivity--is not associated with a long propagation length. Light localization around the phase shift reduces the effective size of the sensor below that of the grating and is scaled inversely with the resonance spectral width. In our system, an effective sensor length of 270 μm, pressure sensitivity of 440 Pa, and effective bandwidth of 10 MHz were achieved. This performance makes our design attractive for medical imaging applications, such as optoacoustic tomography, in which compact, sensitive, and wideband acoustic detectors are required.     

Lateral force sensor based on a core-offset tilted fiber Bragg grating

A novel lateral force sensor based on a core-offset tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The lateral force is determined by the differential reflected powers between the cladding mode and Bragg mode in the TFBG. The sensors respond monotonically with the lateral force increasing from 0 to 1.75 N. The sensitivity of such a core-offset TFBG sensor can be tailored by choosing different core-offset values. The simple differential power detection method makes the implementation of the sensor system cost-effective and free of the influence of environmental and system fluctuations.     

All-optical wavelength converter based on fiber cross-phase modulation and fiber Bragg grating

I present new method of phase modulation to amplitude modulation conversion (PM/AM conversion) that utilizes integrating capabilities of fiber Bragg grating (FBG). I found that the wavelength converter based on fiber cross-phase modulation (XPM) and new method of PM/AM conversion have an order of magnitude higher conversion efficiency then the wavelength converter based on sideband filtration method and up to 6 dB higher conversion efficiency then the converter based on the nonlinear optical loop mirror. Numerical analysis and experimental results are provided for bit rates up to 40 Gb/s.     

基于Bragg光纤光栅传感器的监测系统设计

设计了基于Bragg光纤光栅传感技术的监测系统,当光纤光栅所处环境的温度、应力、应变或其他物理量发生变化时,光栅的周期或纤芯折射率将发生变化,从而使反射光的波长发生变化,通过测量反射光中心波长的变化,就可以获得待测物理量的变化情况.该系统利用薄膜滤波器完成对外界的分布式测量,采用光强度检测,能够实现无缝监测.     

Modal interferometer based on tapering single-mode-multimode-single-mode fiber structure by hydrogen flame

A modal interferometer is experimentally demonstrated based on tapering a single-mode-multimode-singlemode (SMS) fiber structure heated by hydrogen flame.The interference fringe begins to form when tapering length is 19.8 mm,and becomes regular and clear when the tapering length is longer and the tapered waist diameter is smaller.Annealing process is undertaken to achieve a high extension ratio of approximately 17 dB with free spectral range of 1.5 nm when the tapering length is 33 mm and the tapered waist diameter is approximately 5μm.The temperature and axial strain dependences of the tapered SMS structure are characterized,and the measured temperature and strain coefficients are +7 pm/℃and -9.536 pm/με, respectively.     

Multiple fiber Bragg grating interrogation based on a spectrum-limited Fourier domain mode-locking fiber laser

A novel fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system based on a spectrum-limited Fourier domain mode-locking (SL-FDML) fiber laser is proposed. Multiple FBGs cascaded in a long fiber are utilized as both the sensors in the system and the wavelength-selected components in the SL-FDML fiber laser. Both wavelength-division multiplexing and spatial-division multiplexing techniques are demonstrated for interrogation of multiple FBGs by mapping the wavelength measurement to the time measurement and by adjusting the driving frequency of the SL-FDML fiber laser. The proposed FBG sensing system, employing techniques of the wavelength- and spatial-domain interrogation of multiple FBGs, can be used in remote and quasi-distributed multipoint sensing.     

Tunable dual-wavelength fiber laser based on a polarization-maintaining fiber Bragg grating and a Hi-Bi fiber optical loop mirror

We demonstrate experimentally the operation of a linear cavity dual-wavelength fiber laser using a polarization maintaining fiber Bragg grating (PM-FBG) as an end mirror that defines two closely spaced laser emission lines. The PM-FBG is also used to tune the laser wavelengths. The total tuning range is ∼8 nm. The laser operates in a stable dual-wavelength mode for an appropriate adjustment of the cavity losses for the generated wavelengths. The high birefringence (Hi-Bi) fiber optical loop mirror (FOLM) is used as a tunable spectral filter to adjust the losses. The FOLM adjustment was performed by the temperature control of the Hi-Bi fiber.     

RZ-OOK to NRZ-OOK format conversion based on a single fiber Bragg grating

We propose a return-to-zero on-off keying(RZ-OOK) to non-return-to-zero(NRZ) OOK conversion scheme based on a single custom-designed fiber Bragg grating(FBG). The custom-made FBG is designed and synthesized using discrete layer-peeling algorithm. It is shown that such a FBG can replace the combination of interferometer and the cascaded filter that are invariably employed together in the reported schemes for RZ-OOK to NRZ-OOK format conversion. Simulation results show that the input 20-Gb/s RZ-OOK signals with different duty cycles can be converted into NRZ-OOK signals with high Q-factor.