Single-mode tellurite optical fiber for temperature measurement based on the self-phase modulation effect

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear Optics
• Materials Science
• Optical Fiber Sensing

Background:

• Self-phase modulation (SPM) is a nonlinear optical phenomenon.
• Tellurite optical fibers offer unique nonlinear properties.
• Accurate temperature sensing is crucial in various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the self-phase modulation (SPM) effect in a double-cladding single-mode tellurite optical fiber (DC-SMTOF) for temperature sensing.
• To evaluate the temperature sensing performance of the DC-SMTOF.
• To explore the potential of SPM-based sensing in soft glass fibers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a DC-SMTOF using TeO2-ZnO-Li2O-Bi2O3 (TZLB) glass material.
• Evaluation of temperature sensing performance by analyzing the 3-dB bandwidth of SPM spectra.
• Systematic variation of temperature, pump wavelength, and average pump power.

Main Results:

• The DC-SMTOF exhibited a high thermo-optical coefficient of -16.4×10^-6/°C.
• A temperature sensitivity of -2.971 nm/°C with a resolution of 0.0168°C was achieved.
• Higher temperature sensitivity was observed with longer pump wavelengths and higher average pump power.

Conclusions:

• This work presents the first study on SPM-based temperature sensing in tellurite optical fibers.
• The proposed sensor offers a compact structure and high sensitivity without fiber modification.
• This research opens new avenues for novel temperature sensing technologies combining soft glass fibers and nonlinear phenomena.