Fiber Optic Sensor Research Articles

Plasmonic Optical Fiber Sensors and Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Glyphosate Detection at an Ultra-Wide Range

In this study, a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor based on modified plastic optical fibers (POFs) was combined with a specific molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP), used as a synthetic receptor, for glyphosate (GLY) determination in aqueous solutions. Since GLY is a non-selective herbicide associated with severe environmental and health problems, detecting glyphosate in environmental and biological samples remains challenging. The selective interaction between the MIP layer and GLY is monitored by exploiting the SPR phenomenon at the POF’s gold surface. Experimental results show that in about ten minutes and by dropping microliter volume samples, the presented optical–chemical sensor can quantify up to three orders of magnitude of GLY concentrations, from nanomolar to micromolar, due to a thin MIP layer over the SPR surface. The developed optical–chemical sensor presents a detection limit of about 1 nM and can be used for onsite GLY measurements. Moreover, the experimental analysis demonstrated the high selectivity of the proposed POF-based chemical sensor.

High sensitivity fiber optic current sensor based on Fabry–Perot interferometer manufactured by femtosecond laser

Abstract A novel fiber optic current sensor was prepared based on femtosecond laser processing technology and magnetostrictive material Terfenol-D. Its principle is to use the linear stretching of Terfenol-D material under the action of current to cause linear shift in the sensor spectrum. Firstly, we fabricated Fabry–Perot interferometer (FPI1) using femtosecond laser in a tapered few mode fiber. Then, FPI2 was prepared using the end face of FPI1, quartz capillary, and single-mode fiber. When cascading FPI1 and FPI2, by adjusting the air-cavity length of FPI2, they form a harmonic vernier effect (HVE) sensor. In HVE sensors, FPI1 forms a cantilever beam inside the capillary, which is not affected by axial strain. Therefore, when the axial strain acts on the HVE sensor, the effective length of axial strain increases to the entire length of the quartz capillary, greatly amplifying the strain sensitivity. Finally, the Terfenol-D rod is pasted onto the HVE strain sensor, and the strain change coupled to the strain sensor caused by magnetic field changes is detected by measuring the wavelength shift of the sensor. As the magnetic field strength is directly proportional to the current in the energized coil, this sensor can measure current. The experiment found that the current sensitivity of the sensor is 5.30 nm A−1 in the range of 0.5 A–3.3 A, and the linear fitting coefficient is 0.9926. Additionally, the minimum measurable current change of the sensor is 23 mA. The current sensor is of advantages of high sensitivity, stable sensing performance, compact structure, easy fabrication and low cost, meaning wide application prospect.

Hydroelectric Plant Safety: Real-Time Monitoring Utilizing Fiber-Optic Sensors.

In the context of hydroelectric plants, this article emphasizes the imperative of robust monitoring strategies. The utilization of fiber-optic sensors (FOSs) emerges as a promising approach due to their efficient optical transmission, minimal signal attenuation, and resistance to electromagnetic interference. These optical sensors have demonstrated success in diverse structures, including bridges and nuclear plants, especially in challenging environments. This article culminates with the depiction of the development of an array of sensors featuring Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs). This array is designed to measure deformation and temperature in protective grids surrounding the turbines at the Santo Antônio Hydroelectric Plant. Implemented in a real-world scenario, the device identifies deformation peaks, indicative of water flow obstructions, thereby contributing significantly to the safety and operational efficiency of the plant.

Design and analysis of D-shaped fiber optic plasmonic sensors using triangular corrugation of silver: transmittance and field analysis

In this study, the wave optics module of COMSOL Multiphysics is used to simulate a D-shaped optical fibre plasmonic sensor with triangular corrugation structures made of silver. The transmittance and electric field-based performance defining parameters i.e., resonance wavelength (λ r), shift in resonance wavelength (∆λ r), minimum transmittance (Tmin), bandwidth (BW), penetration depth (PD), and propagation length (PL) are examined. The obtained sensitivity of the proposed sensor is 10.2 μm RIU−1. It is seen that the proposed sensor structure increases the sensitivity by 41% with respect to planar Ag and 40.2% with respect to rectangular grating of Ag. Also, the PD increases 36.6% with respect to planar Ag and 30% with respect to rectangular grating Ag.

Dynamic Wave Measurement With a High Spatial Resolution Distributed Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor

Dynamic Wave Measurement With a High Spatial Resolution Distributed Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor

An Integrated Fiber Optic Sensor Capable of Simultaneously Measuring of Salinity, Pressure, and Temperature

An Integrated Fiber Optic Sensor Capable of Simultaneously Measuring of Salinity, Pressure, and Temperature

Transformer oil temperature sensing utilizing bundle plastic optical fiber sensor

A bundle plastic optical fiber (POF) that works based on an intensity modulation technique is experimentally demonstrated to sense the temperature of transformer oil. The sensor was developed using a bundle POF that is located perpendicular to an aluminum reflective film with an airgap cavity between these two elements. The simplicity of the architecture allows the development of an economical optical sensor system. To avoid interference effects by other substances in the oil, the sensor head is encapsulated with a metal protecting tube. The temperature measurement was realized in this study by monitoring the output light intensity in the visible light spectrum. For linearity range from 40 °C to 75 °C, the tested sensor exhibits a sensitivity of 0.0064 °C−1, a linearity coefficient of 0.95 and a resolution of 1.56 °C. These results demonstrate the suitability of the developed sensor for temperature oil monitoring in an electrical power transformer system.

SMF-MMF-SCF-Based Humanoid-Shaped Fiber-Optic Sensor for Wide Range of Magnetic Field Detection

SMF-MMF-SCF-Based Humanoid-Shaped Fiber-Optic Sensor for Wide Range of Magnetic Field Detection

Automated manufacture and experimentation of composite overwrapped pressure vessel with embedded optical sensor

In recent years, the mobility (air/land) industry has been developing fuel-cell vehicles for mass adoption as hydrogen technology matures. Compared to conventional metallic design, the composite overwrapped pressure vessel without a metal or polymer liner results in a lightweight solution for gaseous hydrogen storage which further improves fuel efficiencies. Since the capabilities of automated fiber placement for making multi-stiffened structures are distinct from other automated manufacturing techniques, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing AFP into the manufacture of a small scale COPV with a partially composite liner. The manufacturing related challenges are identified and discussed. During the manufacturing process, Distributed fiber optic sensor was embedded between the plies, as a structural health monitoring solution, to monitor the mechanical performance of the pressurized tank. In addition, finite element study was done to predict the internal strains for different pressure levels and the measured experimental strains at the sensor's location are found to be in close agreement with the finite element results. It is shown that such sensors can be integrated into automated fiber placement manufactured tanks for internal strain monitoring.

Application of Long-Period Fiber Grating Sensors in Structural Health Monitoring: A Review

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is crucial for preventing and detecting corrosion, leaks, and other risks in reinforced concrete (RC) structures, ensuring environmental safety and structural integrity. Optical fiber sensors (OFS), particularly long-period fiber gratings (LPFG), have emerged as a promising method for SHM. Various LPFG sensors have been widely used in SHM due to their high sensitivity, durability, immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and compact size. This review explores recent advancements in LPFG sensors and offers insights into their potential applications in SHM.

Temperature-insensitive fiber-optic refractive index sensor based on cascaded in-line interferometer and microwave photonics interrogation system

Temperature-insensitive fiber-optic refractive index sensor based on cascaded in-line interferometer and microwave photonics interrogation system

Thermal compensation of monolithic distributed fibre optic sensors: From the lab to the field

Distributed fibre optic sensing (DFOS) is gaining popularity as a diagnostic solution for short-term non-destructive testing (NDT) and long-term structural health monitoring (SHM). However, there are still challenges to be overcome, particularly with regard to long-term measurements under real field conditions, taking into account, among other things, temperature changes. These changes affect strain measurements through both thermal expansion and optical effects, and appropriate correction depends on the internal design of the sensor and the installation methods. Therefore, despite the fact that thermal compensation is one of the key prerequisites for correct data interpretation, there are no universal and clear procedures for DFOS. The lack of sufficient guidelines and proven applications is the main motivation for undertaking studies. The scope and novelty of the presented research lies in 1) the theoretical explanation of the thermal performance of monolithic DFOS sensors compared to the layered sensing cables; 2) the analysis and correction of strain data measured with monolithic sensors placed in a thermal chamber; 3) the verification of the laboratory results and the proposed approach in real field conditions: in a concrete footbridge deck and in a steel underground gas pipeline. All presented measurements were performed with high spatial resolution (mm order) Rayleigh-based interrogators under the control of conventional reference spot thermistors. The research demonstrated the linear thermal response of the monolithic sensors and confirmed their usefulness for distinguishing between length- and stress-dependent strains. Finally, the thermal compensation approach was proposed and verified in real operating conditions.

Optical fiber LSPR sensor for SARS-CoV-2 N gene detection based on AuNRs

A novel SARS-CoV-2 N gene optical fiber biosensor based on ASO-coated gold nanorods is proposed in this work. A fiber probe prepared by AuNRs self-assembly was used to detect N gene by complementary base pairing method. The detected material was processed into AuNRs-ASO2-N gene coupler by cross-linking, and the pairing of N gene with ASO1 connected to AuNRs on the surface of the optical fiber formed the hydrogen bonding. The coupling of AuNRs resulted in a left shift of the peak position and a decrease in absorbance in the LSPR spectrum. In this manuscript, it is verified for the first time by simulation and experimental characterization that the coupling mode of AuNRs on the surface of the optical fiber is side by side, which leads to a left shift of the peak position of the LSPR absorption peak on the optical fiber. It is also proved that sandwich method is superior to the traditional method of changing the refractive index. The response time of the sensor is 10 min, and the detection limit is 1 pM, and the results show that the optical fiber sensor based on ASO-coated AuNRs has excellent RNA detection performance in artificial body fluids and is very suitable for RNA detection.

A high-sensitivity balloon-type optical fiber sensor enables wide-range strain sensing with the assistance of CNN

A balloon-type optical fiber sensor (OFS) for strain measurement was proposed, and the measurement range was significantly increased with the assistance of convolutional neural networks (CNN). The presented OFS was prepared by bending a Mach-Zehnder structure based on polarization-maintaining fibers into a balloon-type, which exhibits a sensitivity of 26.3 pm/με under the strain range from 0 to 300 με. The CNN-based signal analysis method can effectively extract the data information in the spectral, and the strain range that can be measured is greatly enlarged to 0–2000 με, while the accuracy of the measurement can be guaranteed. Further, the temperature sensitivity of the OFS is −0.0252 nm/°C; the lower temperature sensitivity can effectively suppress the crosstalk problem caused by temperature changes during strain measurement. The proposed method remarkably increases the strain measurement range of OFS, which is conducive to the application and development of OFSs.

Data-driven solutions and parameter discovery of the extended higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation in optical fibers

In this paper, we investigate an extended higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation that includes third-order and fourth-order dispersion terms. By considering higher-order effects, the equation can more accurately simulate and predict the propagation behavior of ultrashort pulses in optical fibers, e.g., pulse splitting, compression and stability. In the optical fiber sensors, the sensitivity and resolution of the sensor can be improved by utilizing nonlinear effects. The analysis of the extended higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation helps to understand how nonlinear effects affect the sensing signal, thereby designing more accurate sensors. Specific coefficients of each term in the equation are studied for different scenarios, such as optical fiber design and signal propagation in optical communications. Under certain conditions, the extended higher-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation can be degenerated into the Hirota equation or the Lakshmanan–Porsezian–Daniel equation. With the development of numerical algorithms, the utilization of deep neural networks for solving equations has become increasingly attractive. With given initial conditions and boundary conditions, the physical information is embedded into the neural network in the form of loss functions. We efficiently derive numerical solutions to the extended equation for one-soliton, two-soliton and rogue-wave cases by training weights and biases in physics-informed neural networks. Compared with traditional numerical methods, physics-informed neural networks yield lower prediction errors with less data volume, thus will reduce the cost and time consumptions for data sampling in practical engineering. Furthermore, we solve the inverse problem associated with the extended equation. This approach is critical for extracting fundamental parameters of optical systems from observable data, thereby deepening our understanding of complex optical behavior and helping to improve the performance of optical fiber communication technologies.

Localization for Dual Partial Discharge Sources in Transformer Oil Using Pressure-Balanced Fiber-Optic Ultrasonic Sensor Array.

The power transformer is one of the most crucial pieces of high-voltage equipment in the power system, and its stable operation is crucial to the reliability of power transmission. Partial discharge (PD) is a key factor leading to the degradation and failure of the insulation performance of power transformers. Therefore, online monitoring of partial discharge can not only obtain real-time information on the operating status of the equipment but also effectively predict the remaining service life of the transformer. Meanwhile, accurate localization of partial discharge sources can assist maintenance personnel in developing more precise and efficient maintenance plans, ensuring the stable operation of the power system. Dual partial discharge sources in transformer oil represent a more complex fault type, and piezoelectric transducers installed outside the transformer oil tank often fail to accurately capture such discharge waveforms. Additionally, the sensitivity of the built-in F-P sensors can decrease when installed deep within the oil tank due to the influence of oil pressure on its sensing diaphragm, resulting in an inability to accurately detect dual partial discharge sources in transformer oil. To address the impact of oil pressure on sensor sensitivity and achieve the detection of dual partial discharge sources under high-voltage conditions in transformers, this paper proposes an optical fiber ultrasonic sensor with a pressure-balancing structure. This sensor can adapt to changes in oil pressure environments inside transformers, has strong electromagnetic interference resistance, and can be installed deep within the oil tank to detect dual partial discharge sources. In this study, a dual PD detection system based on this sensor array is developed, employing a cross-positioning algorithm to achieve detection and localization of dual partial discharge sources in transformer oil. When applied to a 35 kV single-phase transformer for dual partial discharge source detection in different regions, the sensor array exhibits good sensitivity under high oil pressure conditions, enabling the detection and localization of dual partial discharge sources in oil and winding interturn without obstruction. For fault regions with obstructions, such as within the oil channel of the transformer winding, the sensor exhibits the capability to detect the discharge waveform stemming from dual partial discharge sources. Overall, the sensor demonstrates good sensitivity and directional clarity, providing effective detection of dual PD sources generated inside transformers.

Epidural pressure measurement using a fiber-optic sensor (proof-of-principle invivo animal trial).

An increase in epidural pressure around the stenosis has been observed in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with positive signs of sedimentation or redundant nerve roots. Further analysis of the pressure conditions in the stenotic area would be of great interest. We hypothesized that it would be possible to determine the physiological parameters of the epidural pulse wave and its course in pathological stenosis as a basis for objective identification of LSS based on pressure using a new measuring method with continuous spatial and temporal resolution. We performed a single-case proof-of-principle invivo animal trial and used a newly developed hybrid pressure-measurement probe with a fiber-tip Fabry-Pérot interferometer and several fiber Bragg gratings (FBG). With reproducible precision, we determined the mean epidural pressure to be 7.5 mmHg and the peak-to-peak value to be 4-5 mmHg. When analyzing the pressure measured by an FBG array, both the heart and respiratory rates can be precisely determined. This study was the first to measure the pulse wave velocity of the cerebrospinal fluid pressure wave as 0.97 m/s using the newly developed pressure probe. A simulated LSS was detected in real time and located exactly. The developed fiber-optic pressure sensor probe enables a new objective measurement of epidural pressure. We confirmed our hypothesis that physiological parameters of the epidural pulse wave can be determined and that it is possible to identify an LSS.

Highly sensitive surface plasmon resonance sensor based on the anti-resonant fiber with six nested tubes

On the heels of the continuous development of optical fiber sensing technology, optical fiber sensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) have attracted widespread attention. Herein, an SPR sensor based on the six nested anti-resonant fiber (ARF) is designed and analyzed by the finite element method (FEM). All the structural parameters are optimized to achieve high-sensitivity liquid refractive index detection. Filling the anti-resonant tube with plasmonic materials to excite SPR can further reduce the manufacturing complexity. The optimal ARF-SPR sensor has excellent characteristics, including an average wavelength sensitivity of 42,000 nm/RIU, maximum sensor length of 0.08 cm, and resolution of 1.61×10−6RIU. The ARF-SPR sensor has great potential in chemical analysis, biomedicine, and other fields.

Concatenated Bragg grating fiber-optic sensors for simultaneous measurement of curvature, temperature, and axial pressure

Abstract. This paper presents the development and evaluation of four sensors based on multiple fiber Bragg grating (FBG) constellations embedded in a silicon dioxide single-mode fiber (SMF) for simultaneous measurement of pressure, temperature, and bending curvature. We applied dimension and material variations – including core, cladding, and coating dimensions; coating material; and the number and arrangement of the FBGs – to optimize the reflected signal response and increase information density. A bootstrap-aggregated ensemble of decision trees was used to evaluate the sensor signal. The results show that adjusting the cladding-to-coating ratio led to significant improvements in pressure and bending prediction performance. Additionally, two combined FBGs were fabricated to form a fiber Bragg grating Fabry–Pérot interferometer, which enabled the detection of curvature with a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.0034 L mm−1 (R2=1), axial pressure with an RMSE of 0.0564 bar (R2=0.99), and temperature with an RMSE of 0.0265 °C (R2=1). At the time of writing, there is no commercially available instrument that can perform these measurements simultaneously.

High-precision fiber-optic salinity sensor by micro-cavity and intensity demodulation

In this paper, a hollow-core fiber based micro-cavity Mach-Zehnder interferometer is realized and demonstrated by arc-discharged large lateral-offset splicing. The transmission spectra are investigated and compared with respects to loss and extinction ratio, also the cavity length and offset are theoretically and experimentally optimized. The obtained results show that the concentration of salinity can affect the wavelength response, the average salinity and temperature sensitivities are −2.275 nm/‰ and 1.71 nm/°C, respectively. Moreover, more than 5-fold improvement of the real detection limit is gained by a narrow line-width tunable laser based intensity-demodulation system. And the detection limit of 0.031 ‰ is experimentally witnessed with a time-response of ∼280 ms.