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Fabry-Perot optical binary switch for aircraft applications
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843-3128, USA. zxxie@ece.tamu.edu
Optics Letters
|August 29, 2006
Summary
This study demonstrates an optical binary switch for aircraft using a fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer (FFPI) as a force sensor. The FFPI system achieves a reliable binary output, showing good agreement between experimental and theoretical force measurements.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Optical Sensing
- Aerospace Engineering
Background:
- Optical sensors offer advantages in harsh environments like aircraft.
- Fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers (FFPIs) are sensitive to strain and force.
- Developing reliable binary optical switches is crucial for aircraft systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate an optical binary switch for aircraft applications.
- To utilize an FFPI as a force-sensing element.
- To develop a white-light interferometry system for monitoring FFPI elongation.
Main Methods:
- Bonding an FFPI to a cantilever beam.
- Employing a white-light interferometry system with dual Michelson interferometers.
- Utilizing a shared motor-driven translation stage for FFPI elongation monitoring.
Main Results:
- The FFPI system demonstrated excellent linearity as a force sensor.
- Experimental results closely matched theoretical calculations.
- A binary output was successfully achieved by setting a threshold value.
Conclusions:
- The demonstrated FFPI-based system is a viable optical binary switch for aircraft.
- The system's linearity and accuracy support its application in force sensing.
- The binary output capability meets the requirements for switch functionalities.
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