Low-coherence Michelson Interferometer Research Articles

Carbon-coated fiber for optoelectronic strain and vibration sensing

In this article, we report on a carbon-coated optical fiber that is suitable to be used simultaneously as a transmission medium and as a sensor. It consists of a standard single mode fiber (SMF) sleeved in two layers of coating, which provide protection and isolation from external elements. The inner layer is made of carbon, whereas the outer is made of polymer. When the fiber is subjected to mechanical stress, the electrical resistance of the carbon layer changes accordingly. The voltage variations caused by the former can be measured with high accuracy and without interfering with the light propagating through the SMF. In this work, the feasibility of this operating principle is demonstrated in a low coherence Michelson interferometer in which electrical and optical signals were measured simultaneously and compared to each other. Results indicate that electrical measurements are as precise as the optical ones and with linear behavior, reaching a sensitivity of 1.582 mV/με and able to detect vibrations down to 100 mHz.

Multiscale measurement of air foils with data fusion of three optical inspection systems

Measuring the geometry of machine parts with complex geometries creates new challenges towards measurement systems. Due to cost, fast inspection is nevertheless desirable. Additionally the characterization of a parts health and functionality requires geometric information in different scales. We have developed a set of optical measurement systems which together meet those requirements: A borescopic fringe projection system, a macroscopic fringe projection system using newly developed algorithms for fast inspection of turbine blades and a low coherence Michelson interferometer (LCI). The first can detect geometric variances in hard to reach areas, e.g. inside machines or in between parts with highly complex geometries like blade integrated discs (blisks). Using fully adaptable fringe patters, the second system can locate geometric variances with a single fringe pattern. These patterns lead to high sensitivity and high measurement speed. Afterwards the LCI further inspects the micro structure of defects and characterizes the surface structure of the air foil. The presented algorithms provide fast 3D reconstruction with a nanometer resolution and, compared to other systems, a large measurement range. Together, these three inspection systems are capable to detect and quantify defects or geometric variances of industrial parts in different scales. This information improves the prediction of the reliability of a part and helps extending its lifetime to reduce the maintenance costs of machines. As an example a turbine blade was measured with all three systems and the results are visualized in one dataset. Means to merge the measurements are discussed.

Optically integrated trimodality imaging system: combined all-optical photoacoustic microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and fluorescence imaging.

We have developed a trimodality imaging system by optically integrating all-optical photoacoustic microscopy (AOPAM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and fluorescence microscopy (FLM) to provide complementary information including optical absorption, optical back-scattering, and fluorescence contrast of biological tissue. By sharing the same low-coherence Michelson interferometer, AOPAM and OCT could be organically optically combined. Also, owing to using the same laser source and objective lens, intrinsically registered photoacoustic and fluorescence signals are obtained in a single pulse. Simultaneously photoacoustic angiography, tissue structure, and fluorescence molecular in vivo images of mouse ear were acquired to demonstrate the capabilities of the optically integrated trimodality imaging system, which can present more information to study tumor angiogenesis, vasculature, anatomical structure, and microenvironments in vivo.

High-precision surface measurement with an automated multiangle low coherence interferometer.

We propose a novel measurement system based on a low coherence Michelson interferometer and six-axis hexapod platform to accurately measure structures with high aspect ratio using different tilt angles of the measured surface. In order to realize automatic measurement, the system is designed to automatically perform autofocusing, adjust the tilt angle of the test surface, make surface measurements, and merge the measurement data sets. Due to certain topography, e.g., structures with high aspect ratio, the interferometer cannot obtain enough reflected light to evaluate the height information in some areas of the test surface. For this reason, we developed a measurement system that uses measurements from different tilt angles of the test surface and stitching algorithms to realize a complete surface measurement data set. The performance of the proposed measurement system is evaluated experimentally and compared to the results of measurements using a perthometer.

Sinusoidal fringe projection system based on compact and non-mechanical scanning low-coherence Michelson interferometer for three-dimensional shape measurement

We report a sinusoidal fringe projection system based on superluminiscent diode (SLD) as a broad-band light source in conjunction with an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) as frequency tuning device for three-dimensional shape measurement. The present system is based on a compact low-coherence Michelson interferometer system. The conventional interferometric system was modified in which one side of the beam splitter was coated with aluminum oxide which is used as reference mirror. With this modified version, interference fringes can easily be obtained by simply placing the external mirror in contact on the other side of beam splitter. Sinusoidal fringes with multiple spatial-carrier frequency can be generated in real-time using the present system by means of changing the radio-frequency signal to AOTF electronically without mechanically moving any component in the system. The present system was tested by projecting the sinusoidal fringes on a step-like object and 3D shape of the object was reconstructed using Fourier transform fringe analysis technique. The main advantages of the proposed system are completely non-mechanical scanning, easy to align, high stability because of its nearly common-path geometry and compactness.

Localized long gage fiber optic strain sensors

Long gage length integrated strain sensing is frequently required in structural measurement applications. An optical fiber structural sensing system based on a low-coherence Michelson interferometer was built and shown to be of low cost and capable of absolute measurement and moderate accuracy for quasistatic measurement of strain or structural deformations. This type of sensor was found to be useful for monitoring the hoop-strain around structures like shells, cylinders and columns. We have also shown that localization of the sensing section of an optical fiber can be achieved through the use of one or more Bragg gratings. In effect, the sensing section of the optical fiber acts as a Fabry-Pérot interferometer. When a low-coherence source is used, interference is only attained when the cavity length of this Fabry-Pérot matches the optical path difference (OPD) between the two mirrors of a fiber optic Michelson interferometer. Changes in the sensing length are determined from the commensurate changes that must be made to the reference Michelson interferometer to maintain some fixed degree of interference. Recently, we have developed a novel single-ended localized fiber optic sensor for making absolute strain measurements over arbitrary (cm to m) long gage lengths using a tunable laser. The sensor's gage is again defined between two in-fiber broad-bandwidth Bragg gratings or one grating and the mirror coated end of the same fiber. For this sensing system the change in the OPD of the sensing Fabry-Pérot interferometer with respect to the OPD of a fixed Michelson reference interferometer is determined from the measurement of the phase change, recorded by a low-pass filtered photodetector, associated with a known sweep of the laser wavelength. This tunable laser demodulation scheme avoids the use of moving parts and lends itself to a compact, portable system. This type of sensor is particularly well suited for certain structural applications, such as monitoring the time variation in the hoop-stress in composite material wraps used to rehabilitate and strengthen corroded or earthquake damaged concrete columns.

Simultaneous Measurement of Refractive Index and Thickness of Transparent Plates by Low Coherence Interferometry

We demonstrate a novel low coherence Michelson interferometer which can provide simultaneous measurement of the refractive index and thickness of transparent plates used as a measured object. Unlike the existing low coherence interferometers reported so far, either an object or a focusing lens aligned on the signal arm is scanned repeatedly by a precise translation stage in synchronization with movement of a reflection mirror on the reference arm. The so-called object or lens scanning method gives us two measured quantities a movement distance of the stage between two light focusing states on the front and rear planes of an object and the corresponding optical path difference. These two measured quantities, result in desirable values of the index and thickness of the object with a short calculation. The measurement accuracy of ≤0.1% is expected for a thickness of more than 1 mm. In the experiment using the object scanning method, the accuracy of 0.3% or less was successfully attained for nearly 1-mm thick plates of fused quartz, sapphire, LiTaO3 and slide glass.

Two-dimensional birefringence imaging in biological tissue by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Using a low-coherence Michelson interferometer, we measure two-dimensional images of optical birefringence in bovine tendon as a function of depth. Polarization-sensitive detection of the signal formed by interference of backscattered light from the sample and a mirror in the reference arm give the optical phase delay between light that is propagating along the fast and slow axes of the birefringent tendon. Images showing the change in birefringence in response to laser irradiation are presented. The technique permits rapid noncontact investigation of tissue structural properties through two-dimensional imaging of birefringence.

4664069 Removal of suspended sludge from nuclear steam generator : John W Alden assigned to Combustion Engineering Inc

We report a sinusoidal fringe projection system based on superluminiscent diode (SLD) as a broad-band light source in conjunction with an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) as frequency tuning device for three-dimensional shape measurement. The present system is based on a compact low-coherence Michelson interferometer system. The conventional interferometric system was modified in which one side of the beam splitter was coated with aluminum oxide which is used as reference mirror. With this modified version, interference fringes can easily be obtained by simply placing the external mirror in contact on the other side of beam splitter. Sinusoidal fringes with multiple spatial-carrier frequency can be generated in real-time using the present system by means of changing the radio-frequency signal to AOTF electronically without mechanically moving any component in the system. The present system was tested by projecting the sinusoidal fringes on a step-like object and 3D shape of the object was reconstructed using Fourier transform fringe analysis technique. The main advantages of the proposed system are completely non-mechanical scanning, easy to align, high stability because of its nearly common-path geometry and compactness.