Locally pressed photonic crystal fiber interferometer for multiparameter sensing

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Sensing
• Fiber Optic Sensors
• Interferometry

Background:

• Photonic crystal fiber (PCF) offers unique light manipulation properties.
• Interferometric sensors are sensitive to various physical parameters.
• Multiparameter sensing requires distinguishing between different measurands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel mode interferometer for simultaneous measurement of multiple physical parameters.
• To demonstrate a sensing configuration that utilizes both visibility and spectral shift.
• To develop a robust sensor insensitive to environmental fluctuations.

Main Methods:

• Fusion splicing a short section of PCF to standard single-mode fiber.
• Introducing localized perturbations via mechanical squeezing with a serrated piece.
• Analyzing changes in interference pattern visibility (attenuation losses) and spectral shift (refractive index changes).

Main Results:

• The proposed sensor effectively measures diverse physical parameters like weight, force, and pressure.
• The sensing mechanism leverages both absolute visibility changes and relative spectral shifts.
• The device demonstrates robustness against temperature and power fluctuations.
• Sensor sensitivity is adjustable through mechanical manipulation.

Conclusions:

• The PCF-based mode interferometer is a versatile and robust platform for multiparameter sensing.
• The dual-parameter readout (visibility and shift) enhances measurement accuracy and capability.
• This sensor design offers practical advantages for real-world monitoring applications.