High-Sensitivity Cuboid Interferometric Fiber-Optic Hydrophone Based on Planar Rectangular Film Sensing.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Sensor Technology
• Underwater Acoustics
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Interferometric fiber-optic hydrophones are crucial for underwater acoustic detection.
• Hydrophone sensor head design is critical for achieving high detection sensitivity.
• Existing designs, like the air-backed mandrel hydrophone, have limitations in sensitivity.

Discussion:

• A new cuboid interferometric fiber-optic hydrophone utilizing planar rectangular film sensing is proposed.
• Acoustic characteristic models were developed for theoretical and simulation analysis of sensor pressure sensitivity.
• Experimental validation was conducted to compare the proposed cuboid design with the conventional mandrel type.

Key Insights:

• The cuboid hydrophone demonstrated a mean phase sensitivity of -84.50 dB re 1 rad/μPa.
• The widely used mandrel hydrophone had a mean phase sensitivity of -112.85 dB re 1 rad/μPa.
• The cuboid design exhibited a 28.35 dB higher sensitivity than the mandrel type within the 10-300 Hz frequency range.

Outlook:

• The findings provide valuable insights for enhancing hydrophone sensitivity in underwater acoustic detection systems.
• Further research can explore optimization of the planar rectangular film sensing for even greater performance.
• This development has the potential to advance capabilities in naval sonar and marine research applications.