Emerging distributed sensing applications by means of MgO based nanoparticle doped optical fibers
Résumé
Optical Backscatter Reflectometer (Luna OBR 4600 ) can transform a single mode fiber SMF in an efficient spatially distributed sensor of temperature and strain Unfortunately, t he operation field of OBR is limited to a single sensing fiber element . A parallel of multiple fibers is problematic as t he back scatter ed power to disc rimi nate is of the same magnitude in each fiber . Criti cal medical applications, such as assisted needle insertion , can benefit of
mult iplexed fiber sensors . The solution of switching between different sensors in different time frames i s fe asible but inefficient The presented hi gh scattering MgO nano particles doped fiber (NPDF) can o verc ome such limitations 1 ]]. This fiber , fabricated by Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition technique presents a core characterized by a random pattern of n anoparticles . Its backscattering is 50 dB large r than a S MF . The use NPDF segment s spliced to different lengths SMF pigtail s , such that the NPDF position match es the other pigtail s ,
permits the multiple xing T he OBR can spatially resolve the NPDF high backscattering, since the SMF scattering is irrele vant 2 The NP DF advan tage s ar e not limited to the above mentioned a pplication, operation as ref le ctor less refractive index sensors is also possible 3