Multicore optical fiber apparatus, methods, and applications
AssigneeUniversity of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsRodrigo Amezcua-Correa, Axel Schulzgen, Jose Enrique Antonio Lopez
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Abstract
Fiber optic sensors based on multicore optical fibers that are intended for use in harsh environment sensing. This multicore fiber comprises an arrangement of optically coupled cores in a silica background. Sensors are fabricated by splicing a section of multicore fiber between two single mode fibers. This multicore fiber sensor is simple and repeatable to fabricate and multiple sensors can be multiplexed in a chain. These fiber optic sensors are intended for a broad set of sensing applications including temperature, pressure, strain, bending, acoustic vibrations, mechanical vibrations, or combinations thereof.
Claims22
A fiber optic sensor, comprising:
- a single mode optical fiber (SMF)-multiple core optical fiber (MCF)-single mode optical fiber (SMF-MCF-SMF) set, the set further comprising:
- a length segment of the multiple core optical fiber (MCF) having a central optical core and at least six optical cores disposed circumferentially about the central core, and a cladding having a refractive index, nc, disposed there around, wherein each of the cores is characterized by a refractive index, ni, each of which ni is greater than nc;
- and
- two respective length segments of the single mode fiber (SMF) having a single, central optical core and a cladding there around,
- wherein the length segment of the MCF is disposed intermediate the two respective length segments of the SMF in a serial SMF-MCF-SMF relationship, wherein the central core of the length segment of the MCF is in optical alignment with the central cores of the two respective length segments of the SMFs.
A method of using a fiber optic sensor comprising:
- providing a single mode optical fiber (SMF)-multiple core optical fiber (MCF)-single mode optical fiber (SMF-MCF-SMF) set having serially/optically-aligned central cores;
- inputting a fundamental mode propagating in a leading one of the SMFs into the MCF;
- and
- exciting between two to eight supermodes in the MCF propagating therein comprising a periodic modulation of a spectral response of the sensor due to multimode interference of the two to eight supermodes in the MCF.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.