J. G. Aguilar-Soto

Abstract: A novel fiber optic temperature sensor based on multimode interference was designed, fabricated and tested. The sensor is very simple and inexpensive since we only need to splice a section of multimode fiber between two single mode fibers. Using this device a sensing range of 25°C to 375°C is demonstrated. We should also highlight that due to the pass-band filter response of MMI devices, multiplexing is rather simple by just changing the length of the multimode section.

Abstract: An optofluidically tunable multimode interference (MMI) bandpass filter is demonstrated. This scheme allows for a tuning range of almost 40 nm, by simple changing the liquid refractive index around the multimode fiber of the filter.

Abstract: We have investigated the influence of multimode fiber core (MMFC) diameters and lengths on the sensitivity of an SMS fiber based refractometer. We show that the MMFC diameter has significant influence on the refractive index (RI) sensitivity but the length does not. A refractometer with a lower MMFC diameter has a higher sensitivity. Experimental investigations achieved a maximum sensitivity of 1815 nm/ RIU (refractive index unit) for a refractive index range from 1.342 to 1.437 for a refractometer with a core diameter of 80 μm. The experimental results fit well with the numerical simulation results.

Abstract: The proposed sensing device relies on the self-imaging effect that occurs in a pure silica multimode fiber (coreless MMF) section of a single-mode–multimode–single-mode (SMS)-based fiber structure. The influence of the coreless-MMF diameter on the external refractive index (RI) variation permitted the sensing head with the lowest MMF diameter (i.e., 55 μm) to exhibit the maximum sensitivity (2800 nm/RIU). This approach also implied an ultrahigh sensitivity of this fiber device to temperature variations in the liquid RI of 1.43: a maximum sensitivity of −1880 pm/°C was indeed attained. Therefore, the results produced were over 100-fold those of the typical value of approximately 13 pm/°C achieved in air using a similar device. Numerical analysis of an evanescent wave absorption sensor was performed, in order to extend the range of liquids with a detectable RI to above 1.43. The suggested model is an SMS fiber device where a polymer coating, with an RI as low as 1.3, is deposited over the coreless MMF; numerical results are presented pertaining to several polymer thicknesses in terms of external RI variation.

Abstract: A novel fiber optic temperature sensor based on a liquid-core multimode interference device is demonstrated. The advantage of such structure is that the thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) of the liquid is at least one order of magnitude larger than that of silica and this, combined with the fact that the TOC of silica and the liquid have opposite signs, provides a liquid-core multimode fiber (MMF) highly sensitive to temperature. Since the refractive index of the liquid can be easily modified, this allows us to control the modal properties of the liquid-core MMF at will and the sensor sensitivity can be easily tuned by selecting the refractive index of the liquid in the core of the device. The maximum sensitivity measured in our experiments is 20 nm/°C in the low-temperature regime up to 60 °C. To the best of our knowledge, to date, this is the largest sensitivity reported for fiber-based MMI temperature sensors.

Abstract: A fiber-optic strain and curvature sensor based on no-core fiber has been proposed and demonstrated. The sensor is fabricated using a multimode fiber without cladding, known as the no-core fiber with a thinner diameter. The jointing point between the no-core fiber and single-mode fiber is a taper, which will improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The peak wavelength shift of the sensor exhibits an excellent response for strain and curvature changes.

Abstract: We present a novel multi-point fiber-optic refractive index (RI) sensor based on two different length coreless fibers spliced between single mode fibers (SMFs). The sensing probe operated based on multimode interference. A multi-point interferometer with 25 mm and 30 mm coreless fiber is fabricated and the measurement of RI is realized by measuring the wavelength shift of resonance dips in the transmission spectrum of the multi-point interferometer. Experimental characterization for a multi-point refractometer is presented. In the RI range of 1.3288–1.3666, the corresponding RI sensitivities are 148.60 nm/RIU and 119.27 nm/RIU for each point, respectively. We demonstrate that this multi-point fiber optic interferometer can be used as a simple transducer for RI sensing with comparable sensitivity.