Advances in Optical Fiber Sensors for Extreme Environments: Fundamentals and Applications
A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Sensors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 27 March 2026 | Viewed by 12
Special Issue Editors
Interests: optical sensors and materials for extreme environments; high temperature superconductors; radiation detection; measurement science and technology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Optical fiber sensors are capable of precision measurements across diverse scientific and industrial fields. Their versatility encompasses both point sensors, such as fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), and distributed sensing techniques. In distributed optical fiber sensing, measurements are derived from the light scattered along the fiber typically by Rayleigh, Brillouin or Raman interactions, sensitive to distinct physical parameters such as strain and temperature. The spatially resolved backscatter can be analyzed using time-domain reflectometry (OTDR), frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR) or coherent phase OTDR, providing a continuous profile of the measurand along the fiber length.
The characteristics of optical fiber sensors are particularly suited to extreme environments, where conventional sensor technologies often fail. Their tolerance to cryogenic and high temperatures, resistance to ionizing radiation, immunity to electromagnetic interference and low chemical reactivity make them uniquely suited for operation under harsh conditions. In addition, optical fibers can be functionalized to respond selectively to a wide range of measurands, enabling the detection of specific gases (e.g., hydrogen) or biomolecules of interest (e.g., glucose), thereby extending their applicability well beyond conventional strain or temperature measurements.
This Special Issue focuses on fundamental advances and innovative applications of optical fiber sensors in extreme environments. Contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following areas are invited:
- Advancements in Specialty Optical Fibers, including Hollow Core Fibers
- Innovations in FBG fabrication, characterization and interrogation
- Innovations in all aspects of distributed sensing techniques
- Fiber-based sensors for radiation measurements in energy and medical applications
- Novel fiber chemistries and microstructures tailored for specific applications
- Innovations enabling operation of fiber sensors in the following extreme environments:
- Cryogenic environments such as superconducting magnets for nuclear fusion, particle accelerators, power or defense applications
- High-temperature environments pushing the limits of conventional silica-based fibers
- Ionizing radiation environments including nuclear reactors, space systems and targets of particle collider targets
Dr. Federico Scurti
Dr. Amy Van-Newkirk
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- optical fiber sensors
- extreme environments
- distributed sensing
- Rayleigh scattering
- Brillouin scattering
- Raman scattering
- BOTDA
- OFDR
- Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)
- cryogenic
- high-temperature
- ionizing radiation
- hollow core fibers
- radiation tolerance
- superconducting magnets
- multi-core fibers
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
