Abstract

Abstract

Abstract
This work presents a temperature independent strain/load sensor using a highly birefringent photonic crystal fibre loop mirror. The length of the sensing head is 38 centimetres and its corresponding wavelength spacing between two interferometer minima is 8 nm. The obtained strain and transverse load sensitivity were 1.21 pm/mu epsilon and 0.37 nm/Kg/mm, respectively, while is insensitive to temperature (0.3 pm/degrees C).

Abstract
In this work. the LPG-assisted fibre Michelson modal interferometer is studied as a sensing structure to environmental refractive index, temperature and liquid level when coherence addressing and heterodyne interrogation are considered. The effects on measurand sensitivity of the order of the cladding mode excited by the LPG, of the degree c etching of the sensing fibre and of the fibre type used are investigated.

Abstract
Birefringence monitoring of a Hi-Bi fibre under chemical etching is conducted. The Hi-Bi fibre (a bow-tie type) was inserted in a fibre loop mirror and the optical spectral response was measured while chemical etching of the Hi-Bi fibre was taking place. The birefringence of the bow-tie fibre has decreased due to the etching and the wavelength spacing of the fringe minima of the fibre loop mirror has increased.

Abstract
We report on the analysis and experimental validation of the strain sensitivity dependences of a fiber Bragg grating written in standard optical fiber when combined with fused tapers. By controlling the difference between the cross sections of the fused taper and the Bragg grating, the strain sensitivity of the Bragg wavelength can be changed by acting on the gauge length. The strain sensing characteristics of an interferometric structure formed by fabricating a fused taper in the middle of a fiber Bragg grating are also reported. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.