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Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications
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Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 March 2025 | Viewed by 13943

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jinjun Xia

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI 48075, USA
Interests: optical instrumentation; optical science; laser ultrasonics; ultrasound guided photoacoustic imaging for molecular detection in turbid media
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qingsong Cui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Physics, Astronomy, Geoscience, and Engineering Technology Department, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA 31698, USA
Interests: fibre optic sensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Optical fiber, in addition to its original purpose as a long-distance optical signal carrier, has also gained very wide applications in the sensing field. As optical glass or plastic is drawn into a very thin fiber, light transport is substantially changed to be suitable for confined long-distance transport, the physical foundation of controlled long-distance light transport in optical communication. On the other hand, the very thin diameter of the optical fiber makes its refractive index very sensitive to environment changes, which is one of the major reasons that optical fiber is used for sensing applications. Meanwhile, the photorefractive properties of the optical fiber can be easily controlled and manipulated due to the small diameter, which makes it very flexible to control light properties and transport in the fiber; this is why optical fiber is often being used to construct fiber-optic-based sensing systems. Among many advantages in fiber-optic applications, perhaps the most prominent is that because of its long slim shape, optical fiber can be delivered to places that are not easily reachable with conventional methods to achieve its sensing purpose. In addition, because of its guided light delivery, optical alignment is not necessary, making the application very flexible and convenient. Its portability is dramatically improved compared to other light delivery methods such as free space delivery due to the elimination of many bulky optical components. All these advantages make optical-fiber-based sensors and systems very attractive to interdisciplinary researchers. The purpose of this Special Issue is to call for papers that reflect the most recent advancements in fiber-optic-related sensing, including fundamental research and innovative applications. Topics listed in the following are especially encouraged:

  • New development in optical sensing fiber materials;
  • Emerging fiber-optic sensing device design and applications;
  • Photorefractive materials in fiber-optic sensing applications;
  • Optical transport in optical fiber for sensing;
  • Optical fiber fabrication for sensing;
  • Optical-fiber-based sensors/systems;
  • Signal processing in fiber-optic sensors/systems;
  • Artificial intelligence with fiber-optic-based sensors/systems.

Dr. Jinjun Xia
Dr. Qingsong Cui
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 511 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Liquids and Saturated Salt Solutions on Polymer-Coated Fiber Optic Sensors for Distributed Strain and Temperature Measurement
by Martin Weisbrich, Dennis Messerer, Frank Holzer, Ulf Trommler, Ulf Roland and Klaus Holschemacher
Sensors 2024, 24(14), 4659; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24144659 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 3369
Abstract
The application of distributed fiber optic strain and temperature measurement can be utilized to address a multitude of measurement tasks across a diverse range of fields, particularly in the context of structural health monitoring in the domains of building construction, civil engineering, and [...] Read more.
The application of distributed fiber optic strain and temperature measurement can be utilized to address a multitude of measurement tasks across a diverse range of fields, particularly in the context of structural health monitoring in the domains of building construction, civil engineering, and special foundation engineering. However, a comprehensive understanding of the influences on the measurement method and the sensors is essential to prevent misinterpretations or measurement deviations. In this context, this study investigated the effects of moisture exposure, including various salt solutions and a high pH value, on a distributed strain measurement using Rayleigh backscattering. Three fiber optic sensors with different coating materials and one uncoated fiber were exposed to five different solutions for 24 h. The study revealed significant discrepancies (∼38%) in deformation between the three coating types depending on the surrounding solution. Furthermore, in contrast to the prevailing literature, which predominantly describes swelling effects, a negative deformation (∼−47 με) was observed in a magnesium chloride solution. The findings of this study indicate that corresponding effects can impact the precision of measurement, potentially leading to misinterpretations. Conversely, these effects could be used to conduct large-scale monitoring of chemical components using distributed fiber optic sensing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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16 pages, 4430 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Measurement and Uncertainty Evaluation of Optical Path Difference in Fiber Optic Interferometer Based on Auxiliary Interferometer
by Huicong Li, Minggan Lou, Wenzhu Huang and Wentao Zhang
Sensors 2024, 24(7), 2038; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24072038 - 22 Mar 2024
Viewed by 969
Abstract
Optical interferometers are the main elements of interferometric sensing and measurement systems. Measuring their optical path difference (OPD) in real time and evaluating the measurement uncertainty are key to optimizing system noise and ensuring system consistency. With the continuous sinusoidal wavelength modulation of [...] Read more.
Optical interferometers are the main elements of interferometric sensing and measurement systems. Measuring their optical path difference (OPD) in real time and evaluating the measurement uncertainty are key to optimizing system noise and ensuring system consistency. With the continuous sinusoidal wavelength modulation of the laser, real-time OPD measurement of the main interferometer is achieved through phase comparison of the main and auxiliary interferometers. The measurement uncertainty of the main interferometer OPD is evaluated. It is the first evaluation of the impact of different auxiliary interferometer calibration methods on OPD measurements. A homodyne quadrature laser interferometer (HQLI) is used as the main interferometer, and a 3 × 3 interferometer is used as the auxiliary interferometer. The calibration of the auxiliary interferometer using optical spectrum analyzer scanning and ruler measurement is compared. The evaluation shows that the auxiliary interferometer is the most significant source of uncertainty and causes the total uncertainty to increase linearly with increasing OPD. It is proven that a high-precision calibration and large-OPD auxiliary interferometer can improve the real-time accuracy of OPD measurements based on the auxiliary interferometer. The scheme can determine the minimum uncertainty to optimize the system noise and consistency for vibration, hydroacoustic, and magnetic field measurements with OPDs of the ~m level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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14 pages, 1178 KiB  
Communication
Low-Coherence Homodyne Interferometer for Sub-Megahertz Fiber Optic Sensor Readout
by Petr Volkov, Andrey Lukyanov, Alexander Goryunov, Daniil Semikov and Oleg Vyazankin
Sensors 2024, 24(2), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24020552 - 16 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 981
Abstract
This study proposes a method for interferometric fiber optic sensor readouts. The method utilizes the advantages of the active homodyne demodulation technique and low-coherence interferometry. The usage of the tandem low-coherence interferometer enables modulating the reference interferometer without any changes to the sensor. [...] Read more.
This study proposes a method for interferometric fiber optic sensor readouts. The method utilizes the advantages of the active homodyne demodulation technique and low-coherence interferometry. The usage of the tandem low-coherence interferometer enables modulating the reference interferometer without any changes to the sensor. This achieves high sensitivity, high stability, and a wide frequency band. A sensitivity of up to 0.1 nm (RMS) in the frequency range of 5 kHz is demonstrated by detecting acoustic signals with a fiber Michelson interferometer as a sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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18 pages, 5411 KiB  
Article
Measurement of Cutting Temperature in Interrupted Machining Using Optical Spectrometry
by Isaí Espinoza-Torres, Israel Martínez-Ramírez, Juan Manuel Sierra-Hernández, Daniel Jauregui-Vazquez, Miguel Ernesto Gutiérrez-Rivera, Felipe de Jesús Torres-Del Carmen and Tania Lozano-Hernández
Sensors 2023, 23(21), 8968; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23218968 - 4 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1326
Abstract
This research presents an experimental study focused on measuring temperature at the tool flank during the up-milling process at high cutting speed. The proposed system deals with emissivity compensation through a two-photodetector system and during calibration. A ratio pyrometer composed of two photodetectors [...] Read more.
This research presents an experimental study focused on measuring temperature at the tool flank during the up-milling process at high cutting speed. The proposed system deals with emissivity compensation through a two-photodetector system and during calibration. A ratio pyrometer composed of two photodetectors and a multimode fiber-optic coupler is employed to capture the radiation emitted by the cutting insert. The pyrometer is calibrated using an innovative calibration system that addresses theoretical discrepancies arising from various factors affecting the measurement of cutting temperature. This calibration system replicates the milling process to generate a calibration curve. Experimentally, AISI 4140 steel is machined with coated tungsten carbide inserts, using cutting speeds of 300 and 400 m/min, and feed rates of 0.08 and 0.16 mm/tooth. The results reveal a maximum recorded cutting temperature of 518 °C and a minimum of 304 °C. The cutting temperature tends to increase with higher cutting speeds and feed rates, with cutting speed being the more influential factor in this increase. Both the pyrometer calibration and experimental outcomes yield satisfactory results. Finally, the results showed that the process and the device prove to be a convenient, effective, and precise method of measuring cutting temperature in machine processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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14 pages, 36938 KiB  
Article
Fast Feature Extraction Method for Brillouin Scattering Spectrum of OPGW Optical Cable Based on BOTDR
by Xiaojuan Chen and Haoyu Yu
Sensors 2023, 23(19), 8166; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23198166 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1167
Abstract
Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry (BOTDR) detects fiber temperature and strain data and represents one of the most critical ways of identifying abnormal conditions such as ice coverage and lightning strikes on optical fiber composite overhead ground wire (OPGW) cable. Existing BOTDR extracts [...] Read more.
Brillouin optical time domain reflectometry (BOTDR) detects fiber temperature and strain data and represents one of the most critical ways of identifying abnormal conditions such as ice coverage and lightning strikes on optical fiber composite overhead ground wire (OPGW) cable. Existing BOTDR extracts brillouin frequency shift (BFS) features with cumulative averaging and curve fitting. BFS feature extraction is slow for long-distance measurements, making realizing real-time measurements on fiber optic cables challenging. We propose a fast feature extraction method for block matching and 3D filtering (BM3D) + Sobel brillouin scattering spectroscopy (BGS). BM3D takes the advantage of non-local means (NLM) and wavelet denoising (WD) and utilizes the spatial-domain non-local principle to enhance the denoising in the transform domain. The global filtering capability of BM3D is utilized to filter out the low cumulative average BGS noise and the BFS feature extraction is completed using Sobel edge detection. Simulation verifies the feasibility of the algorithm, and the proposed method is embedded in BOTDR to measure 30 km of actual OPGW line. The experimental results show that under the same conditions, the processing time of this method is reduced by 37 times compared to that with the 50,000-time cumulative averaging + levenberg marquardt (LM) algorithm without severe distortion of the reference resolution. The method improves the sensor demodulation speed by using image processing technology without changing the existing hardware equipment, which is expected to be widely used in the new generation of BOTDR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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16 pages, 3012 KiB  
Article
A Novel Catheter Distal Contact Force Sensing for Cardiac Ablation Based on Fiber Bragg Grating with Temperature Compensation
by Yuyang Lou, Tianyu Yang, Dong Luo, Jianwei Wu and Yuming Dong
Sensors 2023, 23(5), 2866; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23052866 - 6 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2898
Abstract
Objective: To accurately achieve distal contact force, a novel temperature-compensated sensor is developed and integrated into an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation catheter. Methods: A dual elastomer-based dual FBGs structure is used to differentiate the strain on the two FBGs to achieve temperature compensation, [...] Read more.
Objective: To accurately achieve distal contact force, a novel temperature-compensated sensor is developed and integrated into an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation catheter. Methods: A dual elastomer-based dual FBGs structure is used to differentiate the strain on the two FBGs to achieve temperature compensation, and the design is optimized and validated by finite element simulation. Results: The designed sensor has a sensitivity of 90.5 pm/N, resolution of 0.01 N, and root–mean–square error (RMSE) of 0.02 N and 0.04 N for dynamic force loading and temperature compensation, respectively, and can stably measure distal contact forces with temperature disturbances. Conclusion: Due to the advantages, i.e., simple structure, easy assembly, low cost, and good robustness, the proposed sensor is suitable for industrial mass production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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11 pages, 8372 KiB  
Article
Machine Learning Estimation of the Phase at the Fading Points of an OFDR-Based Distributed Sensor
by Arman Aitkulov, Leonardo Marcon, Alessandro Chiuso, Luca Palmieri and Andrea Galtarossa
Sensors 2023, 23(1), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23010262 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2179
Abstract
The paper reports a machine learning approach for estimating the phase in a distributed acoustic sensor implemented using optical frequency domain reflectometry, with enhanced robustness at the fading points. A neural network configuration was trained using a simulated set of optical signals that [...] Read more.
The paper reports a machine learning approach for estimating the phase in a distributed acoustic sensor implemented using optical frequency domain reflectometry, with enhanced robustness at the fading points. A neural network configuration was trained using a simulated set of optical signals that were modeled after the Rayleigh scattering pattern of a perturbed fiber. Firstly, the performance of the network was verified using another set of numerically generated scattering profiles to compare the achieved accuracy levels with the standard homodyne detection method. Then, the proposed method was tested on real experimental measurements, which indicated a detection improvement of at least 5.1 dB with respect to the standard approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fiber Optic Sensing and Applications)
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