All-fiber quasi-distributed polarimetric temperature sensor

Area of Science:

• Fiber optic sensing
• Polarimetry
• Temperature measurement

Background:

• Quasi-distributed sensing offers advantages for large-scale monitoring.
• Polarimetric fiber sensors are sensitive to various physical parameters.
• Integrating multiple sensors onto a single fiber is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate an all-fiber quasi-distributed polarimetric temperature sensor array.
• To utilize commercially available single polarization and high birefringence fibers.
• To establish a practical sensor network for temperature monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Designing a sensor array using fusion splicing of polarization-maintaining and high birefringence fibers.
• Controlling sensor performance through rotational alignment and precise fiber length adjustment.
• Interrogating the sensor network using standard telecommunication Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (OTDRs).

Main Results:

• A practical sensor network with sensors operating from 0 to 100°C was successfully built.
• Individual sensors exhibited a proportional temperature-dependent loss change between 0.9 and 1.8 dB.
• The system demonstrated the potential to interrogate over 20 prototype sensors.

Conclusions:

• The proposed all-fiber design is a viable solution for quasi-distributed polarimetric temperature sensing.
• The method allows for customizable sensor characteristics and network scalability.
• This technology has potential applications in various fields requiring distributed temperature monitoring.