Photonic integrated circuit-based fiber-optic temperature and strain sensing system

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Integrated Optics
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Fiber-optic sensing systems are crucial for physical security.
• Existing systems often lack multi-functionality or are costly.
• Silicon photonic integrated circuits offer a path to miniaturization and cost reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a low-cost, multi-function fiber-optic sensing system.
• To achieve simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain.
• To leverage silicon photonic integrated circuit technology for a compact solution.

Main Methods:

• Development of an on-chip optical interrogator.
• Integration of a two-dimensional grating coupler, four microring resonators, and four photodetectors.
• Utilizing a fiber Bragg grating and polarization state of back-reflected light for data extraction.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of a compact fiber-optic sensing system.
• Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain achieved.
• Successful integration of an on-chip optical interrogator.

Conclusions:

• The proposed silicon photonic system offers a low-cost, multi-function solution for fiber-optic sensing.
• The compact design is suitable for physical security monitoring applications.
• The on-chip optical interrogator effectively extracts temperature and strain data.