Abstract
A large-core air-clad photonic crystal fiber-based sensing structure is described, which is sensitive to refractive index. The sensing head is based on multimodal interference, and relies on a single-mode/large-core air-clad photonic crystal fiber (PCF)/single-mode fiber configuration. Using two distinct large-core air-clad PCF geometries-one for refractive index measurement and the other for temperature compensation, it was possible to implement a sensing head sensitive to refractive index changes in water as induced by temperature variations. The results indicated the high sensitivity of this sensing head to refractive index variations of water, and a resolution of 3: 4 x 10(-5) refractive index units could be achieved. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America

Abstract
In this work an all-optical hot-wire flowmeter based on a silver coated fiber combining a long period grating and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) structure is proposed. Light from a pump laser at 1480nm propagating down the fiber is coupled by the long period grating into the fiber cladding and is absorbed by the silver coating deposited on the fiber surface over the Bragg grating structure. This absorption acts like a hot wire raising the fiber temperature locally, which is effectively detected by the FBG resonance shift. The temperature increase depends on the flow speed of the surrounding air, which has the effect of cooling the fiber. It is demonstrated that the Bragg wavelength shift can be related to the flow speed. A flow speed resolution of 0.08m/s is achieved using this new configuration. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America

Abstract
A multimode interferometer based-fiber optic sensor with a silica tube section aimed to measure refractive index (RI) variations of surrounding liquids is presented. The sensing head is a silica tube section fusion spliced to single mode fibers operating in transmission. In the splice regions tapers were made to allow the light to be guided in the silica tube while the core is formed by air. This configuration permits measurements of refractive index variations with sensitivities of 101.1, 106.29, and 107.97 nm/RIU considering resonances with different wavelengths. The same resonances were tested with temperature variations with sensitivities achieved of 7.8, 8.7, and 9.3 pm/ degrees C, respectively. The spectral variation associated with one degree temperature change corresponds to a refractive index change of similar to 8 x 10(-5), proving the low temperature dependence compared with sensitivity to RI variations. (C) 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.3646393]

Abstract
We describe an all-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometric configuration based on a suspended twin-core fiber. Because of the birefringence of the fiber cores, two interferometers are obtained by illuminating the fiber with polarized light. Applying strain, curvature, and temperature to the sensing head, different sensitivities are observed that permit the use of the matrix method to discriminate these three measurands. (C) 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.3553482]

Abstract
Two new configurations of high-birefringent fiber loop mirror with an output port probe are proposed. The two configurations used two couplers spliced between them with unbalanced arms and one output port is used as the probe sensor. The difference between them is that the section length of high-birefringent fiber is located between the two couplers (first new configuration) or spliced in the output port probe (second new configuration). The second new configuration presents great advantage, especially for remote sensing using only one fiber to the sensing head. The two new configurations were compared with the conventional high-birefringent fiber loop mirror when strain is applied and showed similar sensitivities. The first new configuration is studied as an optical refractometer.

Abstract
A compact fiber-optic inclinometer based on a fiber-taper Michelson interferometric sensor is constructed and demonstrated. The sensor consist of a single symmetrically taper waist of 80 mu m distanced 30 mm from the single-mode fiber end-tip right-angled cleaved. The amplitude of the bending angle of the fiber taper interferometer is obtained by passive interferometric interrogation based on the generation of two quadrature phase-shifted signals from two fiber Bragg gratings with different resonant wavelengths. Optical phase-to-bending sensitivity of similar to 1.13 rad/degree and a bend angle resolution of similar to 0.014 degree/root Hz were achieved.