Microdrilled tapers to enhance optical fiber lasers for sensing

R A Perez-Herrera,P Roldan-Varona,L Rodriguez-Cobo,M Lopez-Amo,D Leandro,M Bravo,J M Lopez-Higuera

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-00046-7

R A Perez-Herrera, P Roldan-Varona + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00046-7

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Abstract

In this work, an experimental analysis of the performance of different types of quasi-randomly distributed reflectors inscribed into a single-mode fiber as a sensing mirror is presented. These artificially-controlled backscattering fiber reflectors are used in short linear cavity fiber lasers. In particular, laser emission and sensor application features are analyzed when employing optical tapered fibers, micro-drilled optical fibers and 50 μm-waist or 100 μm-waist micro-drilled tapered fibers (MDTF). Single-wavelength laser with an output power level of about 8.2 dBm and an optical signal-to-noise ratio of 45 dB were measured when employing a 50 μm-waist micro-drilled tapered optical fiber. The achieved temperature sensitivities were similar to those of FBGs; however, the strain sensitivity improved more than one order of magnitude in comparison with FBG sensors, attaining slope sensitivities as good as 18.1 pm/με when using a 50 μm-waist MDTF as distributed reflector.

Highlights

In this work, an experimental analysis of the performance of different types of quasi-randomly distributed reflectors inscribed into a single-mode fiber as a sensing mirror is presented
It has been previously demonstrated by the authors that micro-drilling techniques have an enhancing effect on the laser g eneration[9] and on the sensor properties[15]
These results show linear response as evidenced by the R-squared values, close to 1 (0.9983, 0.9991 and 0.9992 respectively), showing sensitivities as good as 10.9 pm/με, 17 pm/με and 18.1 pm/με for the micro-drilled optical fiber (MDF), the micro-drilled tapered fibers (MDTF) with 100 μm-waist or 50 μm-waist, in that order

Summary

Introduction

An experimental analysis of the performance of different types of quasi-randomly distributed reflectors inscribed into a single-mode fiber as a sensing mirror is presented. These artificially-controlled backscattering fiber reflectors are used in short linear cavity fiber lasers. We have developed quasi-randomly distributed reflectors inscribed into a standard single-mode or tapered optical fiber with different waist dimensions as a sensing mirror. Their performances in fiber laser configurations are experimentally evaluated. The period ( ) between each laser spot is pseudo-randomly modified between 1 and 10 μm

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Results

Conclusion