Interferometric Fiber Optic Sensors
23 Feb 2012-Sensors (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI))-Vol. 12, Iss: 3, pp 2467-2486
TL;DR: Each type of interferometric sensor is reviewed in terms of operating principles, fabrication methods, and application fields and some specific examples of recently reported interferometeric sensor technologies are presented in detail to show their large potential in practical applications.
Abstract: Fiber optic interferometers to sense various physical parameters including temperature, strain, pressure, and refractive index have been widely investigated. They can be categorized into four types: Fabry-Perot, Mach-Zehnder, Michelson, and Sagnac. In this paper, each type of interferometric sensor is reviewed in terms of operating principles, fabrication methods, and application fields. Some specific examples of recently reported interferometeric sensor technologies are presented in detail to show their large potential in practical applications. Some of the simple to fabricate but exceedingly effective Fabry-Perot interferometers, implemented in both extrinsic and intrinsic structures, are discussed. Also, a wide variety of Mach-Zehnder and Michelson interferometric sensors based on photonic crystal fibers are introduced along with their remarkable sensing performances. Finally, the simultaneous multi-parameter sensing capability of a pair of long period fiber grating (LPG) is presented in two types of structures; one is the Mach-Zehnder interferometer formed in a double cladding fiber and the other is the highly sensitive Sagnac interferometer cascaded with an LPG pair.
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75 citations
TL;DR: The proposed inexpensive and highly sensitive optical fiber RI sensors have numerous applications in chemical and biochemical sensing fields and shows excellent RI sensitivity.
Abstract: A Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) based fiberoptic refractive index (RI) sensor is constructed by uniformly tapering standard single mode fiber (SMF) for RI measurement. A custom flame-based tapering machine is used to fabricate microfiber MZI sensors directly from SMFs. The fabricated MZI device does not require any splicing of fibers and shows excellent RI sensitivity. The sensor with a cladding diameter of 35.5 µm and length of 20 mm exhibits RI sensitivity of 415 nm/RIU for RI range of 1.332 to 1.384, 1103 nm/RIU for RI range of 1.384 to 1.4204 and 4234 nm/RIU for RI range of 1.4204 to 1.4408, respectively. The sensor reveals a temperature sensitivity of 0.0097 nm/°C, which is relatively low in comparison to its ultra-high RI sensitivity. The proposed inexpensive and highly sensitive optical fiber RI sensors have numerous applications in chemical and biochemical sensing fields.
74 citations
TL;DR: An interferometric sensor with a no-core fiber spliced between single mode fibers and functionalized with chitosan (CS)/poly acrylic acid (PAA) self-assembled polyelectrolyte layers for the detection of heavy metal ion Nickel (II) (Ni 2+ ), is proposed and experimentally demonstrated as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: An interferometric sensor with a no-core fiber (NCF) spliced between single mode fibers (SMF) and functionalized with chitosan (CS)/poly acrylic acid (PAA) self-assembled polyelectrolyte layers for the detection of heavy metal ion Nickel (II) (Ni 2+ ), is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The sensing scheme is based on interference of core and cladding modes to detect changes in refractive index induced by Ni 2+ adsorption on the functionalized sensor. Wavelength shifts were measured real-time for the continuous monitoring of adsorption of Ni 2+ at different concentrations. The proposed sensor exhibits a linear response in the concentration range upto 500 μM, with a Ni 2+ detection sensitivity of 0.05537 nm/μM and concentration detection limit of 0.1671 μM.
72 citations
TL;DR: A literature map for the state-of-the-art of tactile sensors in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. in robotic, laparoscopic, palpation, biopsy, heart ablation, and valvuloplasty is provided to provide researchers with a literature map.
Abstract: Minimally invasive surgery has been one of the most significant evolutions in medicine. In this approach, the surgeon inserts specially-designed instruments through a small incision on the patient’s skin into the body cavities, abdomen, veins or, arteries and performs the surgery on organs. As a major limitation, surgeons lose their natural tactile perception due to indirect touch on the organs. Since the loss of tactile perception compromises the ability of surgeons in tissue distinction and maneuvers, researchers have proposed different tactile sensors. This review is to provide researchers with a literature map for the state-of-the-art of tactile sensors in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. in robotic, laparoscopic, palpation, biopsy, heart ablation, and valvuloplasty. In this regard, the pertinent literature from the year 2000 on sensing principles, design requirements, and specifications were reviewed in this study. The survey showed that size, range, resolution, variation, electrical passivity, and magnetic-resonance-compatibility were the most critical specification to study for tactile sensors. Based on the results, some of the requirements, e.g., magnetic-resonance-compatibility and electrical passivity are of less generality and more application-dependent; however, size, resolution, and range specifications differ for various applications and are of utmost importance.
71 citations
Cites background from "Interferometric Fiber Optic Sensors..."
...The phase difference of the interference signal, δFPI is expressed as (17), [88]:...
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TL;DR: Key fiber-optic sensing technologies, including fiber Bragg gratings, fiber- optic interferometers, optical time domain reflectometries, and their applications in three main parts of power grids, transformers, power towers, and overhead transmission lines, during the past 20 years are reviewed.
Abstract: Fiber-optic sensing technology is best adapted to health monitoring and evaluation of power grids because of its immunity of electromagnetic interference, capabilities of multiplexing and distributed sensing, and tolerance to harsh environments. We review key fiber-optic sensing technologies, including fiber Bragg gratings, fiber-optic interferometers, optical time domain reflectometries, and their applications in three main parts of power grids, transformers, power towers, and overhead transmission lines, during the past 20 years. In particular, optical fiber composite overhead ground wire and optical phase conductor applied in power grids are the areas of great potential to go further. The perspectives of an intelligent fault diagnosis subsystem for power grids based on a fiber-optic sensing network are discussed, and related on-going work is described. The review shall be of benefit to both engineers and researchers in power grids and fiber-optic sensing.
70 citations
References
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21 Dec 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a comprehensive and engaging introduction to optics for intermediate and upper level undergraduate physics and engineering students, which allows instructors to select specialized content to suit individual curricular needs and goals.
Abstract: Introduction to Optics is now available in a re-issued edition from Cambridge University Press. Designed to offer a comprehensive and engaging introduction to intermediate and upper level undergraduate physics and engineering students, this text also allows instructors to select specialized content to suit individual curricular needs and goals. Specific features of the text, in terms of coverage beyond traditional areas, include extensive use of matrices in dealing with ray tracing, polarization, and multiple thin-film interference; three chapters devoted to lasers; a separate chapter on the optics of the eye; and individual chapters on holography, coherence, fiber optics, interferometry, Fourier optics, nonlinear optics, and Fresnel equations.
927 citations
TL;DR: A detailed mechanism of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique for sensing purposes has been discussed in this paper, where different new techniques and models in this area that have been introduced are discussed in quite a detail.
Abstract: Since the introduction of optical fiber technology in the field of sensor based on the technique of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), fiber-optic SPR sensors have witnessed a lot of advancements. This paper reports on the past, present, and future scope of fiber-optic SPR sensors in the field of sensing of different chemical, physical, and biochemical parameters. A detailed mechanism of the SPR technique for sensing purposes has been discussed. Different new techniques and models in this area that have been introduced are discussed in quite a detail. We have tried to put the different advancements in the order of their chronological evolution. The content of the review article may be of great importance for the research community who are to take the field of fiber-optic SPR sensors as its research endeavors.
824 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an approach to achieve simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature is proposed by using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer realized on tapered single-mode optical fiber.
Abstract: An approach to achieve simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature is proposed by using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer realized on tapered single-mode optical fiber. The attenuation peak wavelength of the interference with specific order in the transmission spectrum shifts with changes in the environmental refractive index and temperature. By utilizing S-band and C/L-band light sources, simultaneous discrimination of refractive index and temperature with the tapered fiber Mach–Zehnder interferometer is demonstrated with the corresponding sensitivities of −23.188 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) and 0.071 nm/ °C, and −26.087 nm/RIU (blueshift) and 0.077 nm/°C (redshift) for the interference orders of 169 and 144, respectively.
551 citations
"Interferometric Fiber Optic Sensors..." refers background in this paper
...By tapering a fiber at two points along the fiber, we can form an effective in-line MZI as shown in Figure 7(f) [55,56]....
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TL;DR: In this article, a fiber-based Fabry-Perot cavity with CO2 laser-machined mirrors was realized, which combines very small size, high finesse, small waist and mode volume, and good mode matching between the fiber and cavity modes.
Abstract: We have realized a fiber-based Fabry-Perot cavity with CO2 laser-machined mirrors. It combines very small size, high finesse F>=130000, small waist and mode volume, and good mode matching between the fiber and cavity modes. This combination of features is a major advance for cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED), as shown in recent CQED experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates enabled by this cavity [Y. Colombe et al., Nature 450, 272 (2007)]. It should also be suitable for a wide range of other applications, including coupling to solid-state emitters, gas detection at the single-particle level, fiber-coupled single-photon sources and high-resolution optical filters with large stopband.
418 citations
"Interferometric Fiber Optic Sensors..." refers background in this paper
...Since it can utilize high reflecting mirrors, the extrinsic structure is useful to obtain a high finesse interference signal [23]....
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TL;DR: As potential applications of the all-PCF interferometer, strain sensing is experimentally demonstrated and ultra-high temperature sensing is proposed.
Abstract: We propose simple and compact methods for implementing all-fiber interferometers. The interference between the core and the cladding modes of a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is utilized. To excite the cladding modes from the fundamental core mode of a PCF, a coupling point or region is formed by using two methods. One is fusion splicing two pieces of a PCF with a small lateral offset, and the other is partially collapsing the air-holes in a single piece of PCF. By making another coupling point at a different location along the fiber, the proposed all-PCF interferometer is implemented. The spectral response of the interferometer is investigated mainly in terms of its wavelength spectrum. The spatial frequency of the spectrum was proportional to the physical length of the interferometer and the difference between the modal group indices of involved waveguide modes. For the splicing type interferometer, only a single spatial frequency component was dominantly observed, while the collapsing type was associated with several components at a time. By analyzing the spatial frequency spectrum of the wavelength spectrum, the modal group index differences of the PCF were obtained from 2.83×10-3 to 4.65 ×10-3 . As potential applications of the all-PCF interferometer, strain sensing is experimentally demonstrated and ultra-high temperature sensing is proposed.
418 citations
"Interferometric Fiber Optic Sensors..." refers background or methods in this paper
...However, in this case, coupling to several cladding modes was observed and controlling the number of involved modes was not so simple [51]....
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...Even with PCF, an MZI can be formed by simply fusion-splicing a piece of PCF between fibers with a small intentional deviation [51]....
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...In reference [51], as low as 2 dB splicing loss was achieved by making the mode coupling to dominantly one cladding mode of the PCF....
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