Fiber Bragg grating strain sensor based on fiber laser

Abstract

A study on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensor, based on erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser, is presented. A strain-sensing element, FBG, also acts as the lasing wavelength selecting component. When strain is applied on the FBG, the laser cavity loss changes, leading to a modification of the laser transient. Strain measurements are obtained in the time domain by simply measuring the EDF laser build-up time. Relative variation in the build-up time of up to 190%, for a strain range from 0με to 2350με, is achieved with a resolution corresponding to a strain of better than 2.35με. This study demonstrates a novel fiber sensor concept and the technical feasibility to develop fiber strain measurement.