Sensors 2012, 12(9), 12052-12069; doi:10.3390/s120912052
Article

Ultra Small Integrated Optical Fiber Sensing System

Bram Van Hoe 1,* email, Graham Lee 2 email, Erwin Bosman 1 email, Jeroen Missinne 1 email, Sandeep Kalathimekkad 1 email, Oliver Maskery 2 email, David J. Webb 2 email, Kate Sugden 2 email, Peter Van Daele 3 email and Geert Van Steenberge 1 email
1 Centre for Microsystems Technology (CMST), Ghent University - IMEC, Elis Department, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium 2 Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET,UK 3 Centre for Microsystems Technology (CMST), Ghent University - IMEC, Intec Department, Technologiepark 914A, B-9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 21 June 2012; in revised form: 10 August 2012 / Accepted: 20 August 2012 / Published: 3 September 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ultra-Small Sensor Systems and Components)
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Abstract: This paper introduces a revolutionary way to interrogate optical fiber sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and to integrate the necessary driving optoelectronic components with the sensor elements. Low-cost optoelectronic chips are used to interrogate the optical fibers, creating a portable dynamic sensing system as an alternative for the traditionally bulky and expensive fiber sensor interrogation units. The possibility to embed these laser and detector chips is demonstrated resulting in an ultra thin flexible optoelectronic package of only 40 μm, provided with an integrated planar fiber pigtail. The result is a fully embedded flexible sensing system with a thickness of only 1 mm, based on a single Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL), fiber sensor and photodetector chip. Temperature, strain and electrodynamic shaking tests have been performed on our system, not limited to static read-out measurements but dynamically reconstructing full spectral information datasets.
Keywords: dynamic read-out; fiber sensor; flexible; integration; low-cost; polymer embedding; ultra thin optoelectronic chip package; VCSEL

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Van Hoe, B.; Lee, G.; Bosman, E.; Missinne, J.; Kalathimekkad, S.; Maskery, O.; Webb, D.J.; Sugden, K.; Van Daele, P.; Van Steenberge, G. Ultra Small Integrated Optical Fiber Sensing System. Sensors 2012, 12, 12052-12069.

AMA Style

Van Hoe B, Lee G, Bosman E, Missinne J, Kalathimekkad S, Maskery O, Webb DJ, Sugden K, Van Daele P, Van Steenberge G. Ultra Small Integrated Optical Fiber Sensing System. Sensors. 2012; 12(9):12052-12069.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Van Hoe, Bram; Lee, Graham; Bosman, Erwin; Missinne, Jeroen; Kalathimekkad, Sandeep; Maskery, Oliver; Webb, David J.; Sugden, Kate; Van Daele, Peter; Van Steenberge, Geert. 2012. "Ultra Small Integrated Optical Fiber Sensing System." Sensors 12, no. 9: 12052-12069.

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