Sensors 2017, 17(6), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17061259
Adaptable Optical Fiber Displacement-Curvature Sensor Based on a Modal Michelson Interferometer with a Tapered Single Mode Fiber
G. Salceda-Delgado 1,*
, A. Martinez-Rios 2, R. Selvas-Aguilar 1, R. I. Álvarez-Tamayo 3
, A. Castillo-Guzman 1, B. Ibarra-Escamilla 4, V. M. Durán-Ramírez 5 and L. F. Enriquez-Gomez 2,6
, A. Castillo-Guzman 1, B. Ibarra-Escamilla 4, V. M. Durán-Ramírez 5 and L. F. Enriquez-Gomez 2,61
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Pedro de Alba S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, 66455 San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico
2
Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica A. C., Loma del bosque 115, Col. Lomas del Campestre, 37150 León, Gto., Mexico
3
CONACYT – Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas, 66455 San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico
4
Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE), L. E. Erro 1, Sta. Ma. Tonantzintla, Puebla 72824, Mexico
5
Centro Universitario de los Lagos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Enrique Díaz de León 1144, paseos de la montaña, 47460 Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico
6
Instituto Tecnológico de Aguascalientes, Avenida Adolfo López Mateos 1801, 20256 Aguascalientes, Ags., Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Vittorio M. N. Passaro
Received: 26 April 2017 / Revised: 28 May 2017 / Accepted: 30 May 2017 / Published: 2 June 2017
(This article belongs to the Section Physical Sensors)
Abstract
A compact, highly sensitive optical fiber displacement and curvature radius sensor is presented. The device consists of an adiabatic bi-conical fused fiber taper spliced to a single-mode fiber (SMF) segment with a flat face end. The bi-conical taper structure acts as a modal coupling device between core and cladding modes for the SMF segment. When the bi-conical taper is bent by an axial displacement, the symmetrical bi-conical shape of the tapered structure is stressed, causing a change in the refractive index profile which becomes asymmetric. As a result, the taper adiabaticity is lost, and interference between modes appears. As the bending increases, a small change in the fringe visibility and a wavelength shift on the periodical reflection spectrum of the in-fiber interferometer is produced. The displacement sensitivity and the spectral periodicity of the device can be adjusted by the proper selection of the SMF length. Sensitivities from around 1.93 to 3.4 nm/mm were obtained for SMF length between 7.5 and 12.5 cm. Both sensor interrogations, wavelength shift and visibility contrast, can be used to measure displacement and curvature radius magnitudes. View Full-TextKeywords:
fiber optic sensor; modal optical fiber Michelson interferometer; displacement-curvature measurement
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Salceda-Delgado, G.; Martinez-Rios, A.; Selvas-Aguilar, R.; Álvarez-Tamayo, R.I.; Castillo-Guzman, A.; Ibarra-Escamilla, B.; Durán-Ramírez, V.M.; Enriquez-Gomez, L.F. Adaptable Optical Fiber Displacement-Curvature Sensor Based on a Modal Michelson Interferometer with a Tapered Single Mode Fiber. Sensors 2017, 17, 1259.
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