Monitoring shear deformation of sliding zone via fiber Bragg grating and particle image velocimetry

Monitoring shear deformation of sliding zones is of great significance for understanding the landslide evolution mechanism,in which fiber optic strain sensing has shown great potential.However,the cor-relation between strain measurements of quasi-distributed fiber Bragg grating(FBG)sensing arrays and shear displacements of surrounding soil remains elusive.In this study,a direct shear model test was conducted to simulate the shear deformation of sliding zones,in which the soil internal deformation was captured using FBG strain sensors and the soil surface deformation was measured by particle image velocimetry(PIV).The test results show that there were two main slip surfaces and two secondary ones,developing a spindle-shaped shear band in the soil.The formation of the shear band was successfully captured by FBG sensors.A sinusoidal model was proposed to describe the fiber optic cable deformation behavior.On this basis,the shear displacements and shear band widths were calculated by using strain measurements.This work provides important insight into the deduction of soil shear deformation using soil-embedded FBG strain sensors.

Waveguide Bragg Grating for Fault Localization in PON

Femtosecond laser direct inscription is a technique especially useful for prototyping purposes due to its distinctive advantages such as high fabrication accuracy,true 3D processing flexibility,and no need for mold or photomask.In this paper,we demonstrate the design and fabrication of a planar lightwave circuit(PLC)power splitter encoded with waveguide Bragg gratings(WBG)using a femtosecond laser inscription technique for passive optical network(PON)fault localization application.Both the reflected wavelengths and intervals of WBGs can be conveniently tuned.In the experiment,we succeeded in directly inscribing WBGs in 1×4 PLC splitter chips with a wavelength interval of about 4 nm and an adjustable reflectivity of up to 70% in the C-band.The proposed method is suitable for the prototyping of a PLC splitter encoded with WBG for PON fault localization applications.

Novel Apodized Fiber Bragg GratingApplied for Medical Sensors:Performance Investigation

Sensors play an important role in shaping and monitoring human health.Exploration of methods to use Fiber Bragg Grating(FBG)with enhanced sensitivity has attracted great interest in the field of medical research.In this paper,a novel apodization function is proposed and performance evaluation and optimization of the same have been made.A comparison was conducted between various existing apodization functions and the proposed one based on optical characteristics and sensor parameters.The results evince the implementation of the proposed apodization function for vital sign measurement.The optical characteristics considered for evaluation are Peak Resonance Reflectivity level,Side Lobes Reflectivity level and FullWidth HalfMaximum(FWHM).The proposed novel apodization novel function has better FWHM,which is narrower than the FWHM of uniform FBG.Sensor characteristics like a quality parameter,detection accuracy and sensitivity also show improvement.The proposed novel apodization function is demonstrated to have a better shift in wavelength in terms of temperature and pulse measurement than the existing functions.The sensitivity of the proposed apodized function is enhanced with a Poly-dimethylsiloxane coating of varying thickness,which is 6 times and 5.14 times greater than uniform Fiber Bragg grating and FBG with the proposed novel apodization function,respectively,enhancing its utilization in the field of medicine.

Critical dispersion of chirped fiber Bragg grating for eliminating time delay signature of distributed feedback laser chaos

Optical chaos has attracted widespread attention owing to its complex dynamic behaviors.However,the time delay signature(TDS)caused by the external cavity mode reduces the complexity of optical chaos.We propose and numerically demonstrate the critical dispersion of chirped fiber Bragg grating(CFBG)for eliminating the TDS of laser chaos in this work.The critical dispersion,as a function of relaxation frequency and bandwidth of the optical spectrum,is found through extensive dynamics simulations.It is shown that the TDS can be eliminated when the dispersion of CFBG is above this critical dispersion.In addition,the influence of dispersive feedback light and output light from a laser is investigated.These results provide important quantitative guidance for designing chaotic semiconductor lasers without TDS.

Encrypted optical fiber tag based on encoded fiber Bragg grating array

Optical fibers are typically used in telecommunications services for data transmission,where the use of fiber tags is essential to distinguish between the different transmission fibers or channels and thus ensure the working functionality of the communication system.Traditional physical entity marking methods for fiber labeling are bulky,easily confused,and,most importantly,the label information can be accessed easily by all potential users.This work proposes an encrypted optical fiber tag based on an encoded fiber Bragg grating(FBG)array that is fabricated using a point-by-point femtosecond laser pulse chain inscription method.Gratings with different resonant wavelengths and reflectivities are realized by adjusting the grating period and the refractive index modulations.It is demonstrated that a binary data sequence carried by a fiber tag can be inscribed into the fiber core in the form of an FBG array,and the tag data can be encrypted through appropriate design of the spatial distributions of the FBGs with various reflection wavelengths and reflectivities.The proposed fiber tag technology can be used for applications in port identification,encrypted data storage,and transmission in fiber networks.

Determination of the Postmortem Interval Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Fiber Bragg grating(FBG)sensors are often used in monitoring activities and to ensure that environmental parameters satisfy industrial requirements.They offer crucial safety measures in the early detection of hazards due to their greatly reduced size,low weight,flexibility,and immunity to electromagnetic interference.These characteristics make FBGs suitable also for use in relation to the human body for in vivo measurements and long-term monitoring.In this study,recent developments are presented with regard to the utilization of these sensors to measure the so-called post-mortem interval(PMI).Such developments rely on numerical simulations based on the Matlab software and monitoring of the rectal temperature,which is one of the main parameters for estimating the PMI.First,the Matlab software is used to solve the Henssge equation for different ambient temperatures and for different body masses;then a Bragg grating sensors is used for post-mortem dating.The results and their accuracy are discussed.

Spatiotemporal hemodynamic monitoring via configurable skin-like microfiber Bragg grating group

Systemic blood circulation is one of life activity’s most important physiological functions.Continuous noninvasive hemodynamicmonitoring is essential for the management of cardiovascular status.However,it is difficult to achieve systemichemodynamic monitoring with the daily use of current devices due to the lack of multichannel and time-synchronized operationcapability over the whole body.Here,we utilize a soft microfiber Bragg grating group to monitor spatiotemporalhemodynamics by taking advantage of the high sensitivity,electromagnetic immunity,and great temporal synchronizationbetween multiple remote sensor nodes.A continuous systemic hemodynamic measurement technique is developedusing all-mechanical physiological signals,such as ballistocardiogram signals and pulse waves,to illustrate the actualmechanical process of blood circulation.Multiple hemodynamic parameters,such as systemic pulse transit time,heartrate,blood pressure,and peripheral resistance,are monitored using skin-like microfiber Bragg grating patches conformallyattached at different body locations.Relying on the soft microfiber Bragg grating group,the spatiotemporal hemodynamicmonitoring technique opens up new possibilities in clinical medical diagnosis and daily health management.

Interrogating a Fiber Bragg Grating Vibration Sensor by Narrow Line Width Light

A method to interrogate fiber Bragg grating vibration sensor by narrow line width light is demonstrated. The interrogation scheme takes advantage of the intensity modulation of narrow spectral bandwidth light, such as distributed feedback laser, when a reflection or transmission spectrum curve of an fiber Bragg grating （FBG） moves due to the strain which is applied on the sensor. The sensor＇s response to accelerating frequency and amplitude is measured by experiment. The factors which have impacts on the sensitivity of the interrogation system are also discussed.

Spectral Beam Combining of Fiber Lasers by Using Reflecting Volume Bragg Gratings

By employing three reflecting volume Bragg gratings, a near-infrared 4-channel spectral-beam-combining system is demonstrated to present 720 W combined power with a combining efficiency of 94.7%. The combined laser beam is near-diffraction-limited with a beam factor M^2-1.54. During this 4-channel beam-combining process, no special active cooling measures are used to evaluate the volume Bragg gratings as combining elements are under the higher power laser operation. Thermal expansion and period distortion are verified in a 2 k W 2-channel beam-combining process, and the heat issue in the transmission case is found to be more remarkable than that in the diffraction e-se. Transmitted and diffracted beams experience wave-front aberrations with different degrees, thus leading to distinct beam deterioration.

Strain Transfer Mechanism of Grating Ends Fiber Bragg Grating for Structural Health Monitoring

The grating ends bonding fiber Bragg grating(FBG)sensor has been widely used in sensor packages such as substrate type and clamp type for health monitoring of large structures.However,owing to the shear deformation of the adhesive layer of FBG,the strain measured by FBG is often different from the strain of actual matrix,which causes strain measurement errors.This investigation aims at improving the measurement accuracy of strain for the grating ends surface-bonded FBG.To fulfill this objective,a strain transfer equation of the grating ends bonding FBG is derived,and a theoretical model of the average strain transfer from the matrix to the optical fiber is developed.Moreover,parameters that influence the average strain transfer rate from the matrix to the optical fiber are analyzed.A selection scheme of bonding parameters by numerical simulation is provided,which is significantly advantageous over that of the grating bonding FBG.The theoretical equation is verified by finite element method(FEM).Compared with the existing model,the proposed model has higher measurement accuracy.Experimental tests are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model on the equalintensity cantilever beam,whose surface is attached to the bare FBG with grating ends bonding and strain gauge by using epoxy glue.The results show that there is a great agreement between the outcome of the bare FBG and that of the strain gauge,and the corrected strain is closer to the true strain.The proposed model provides a theoretical basis for the design of the grating ends surface-bonded FBG strain sensor for health monitoring of large structures.

Effectiveness of Fiber Bragg Grating monitoring in the centrifugal model test of soil slope under rainfall conditions

Centrifugal model testsare playing an increasingly importantrolein investigating slope characteristics under rainfall conditions. However, conventional electronic transducers usually fail during centrifugal model tests because of the impacts of limitedtest space, high centrifugal force, and presence of water, with the result that limited valid data is obtained. In this study, Fiber Bragg Grating(FBG) sensing technology is employed in the design and development of displacement gauge, an anchor force gauge and an anti-slide pile moment gauge for use on centrifugal model slopes with and without a retaining structure. The two model slopes were installed and monitored at a centrifugal acceleration of 100 g. The test results show that the sensors developed succeed in capturing the deformation and retaining structure mechanical response of the model slopes during and after rainfall. The deformation curvefor the slope without retaining structure shows a steepresponse that turns gradualfor the slope with retaining structure. Importantly, for the slope with the retaining structure, results suggest that more attention be paid to increase of anchor force and antislide pile moment during rainfall. This study verifies the effectiveness of FBG sensing technology in centrifuge research and presents a new and innovative method for slope model testing under rainfall conditions.

Irradiation effect on strain sensitivity coefficient of strain sensing fiber Bragg gratings

The effect of irradiation on the strain sensitivity coefficient of strain sensing fiber Bragg gratings （FBGs） has been investigated through experiments. FBGs were fabricated in single mode fibers with 3 tool% Ge-concentration in the core and with a H2-1oading treatment. In experiments, the FBGs were subjected to y-radiation exposures using a Co6~ source at a dose-rate of 25 Gy/min up to a total dose of 10.5 kGy. The GeO defect in fiber absorbs photons to form a GeE＇ defect; the interaction with H2 is a probable reason for the y-radiation sensitivity of gratings written in hydrogen loaded fibres, The effect mechanism of radiation on the strain sensitivity coefficient is similar to that of radiation on the temperature sensitivity coefficient. Radiation affects the effective index neff, which results in the change of the thermo-optic coefficient and the strain-optic coefficient. Irradiation can change the strain sensitivity coefficient of FBGs by 1.48%-2.71%, as well as changing the Bragg wavelength shift （BWS） by 22 pm-25 pm under a total dose of 10.5 kGy. Our research demonstrates that the effect of irradiation on the strain sensitivity coefficient of FBG is small and that strain sensing FBGs can work well in the radiation environment.

Measurement of Temperature and Residual Strain during Fatigue of a CFRP Composite Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Fatigue behaviour has important implications for engineering composite structures in sectors ranging from automotive to aerospace. Optical sensing technology displays excellent performance in these fields for monitoring. In this paper, temperature and residual strain during fatigue of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer（CFRP） are investigated. Four autoclaved CFRP beam specimens, with fiber Bragg grating（FBG） sensors and thermocouples embedded at selected locations, are subjected to three-point bending cyclic loading on the BOSE testing machine for fatigue testing. Thennocouples are used to measure the temperature while FBGs can sense the temperature and strain as well. Seven tests in total are conducted at different frequencies, and each test lasts for several days. From the experimental results, transient steep peaks of temperature increases （up to 2.3℃） are discovered at the beginning of the load. The following constant temperature increments are around 1.0℃, which is not relevant to frequencies from 0.1 Hz to 20 Hz and suspected due to fatigue. Residual strains of 1×10^-5-2×10^-5 during fatigue, fading away rapidly when unloading, are also reported. Embedded FBGs here are validated to sense temperature and strains in composite structures, which demonstrates promising potentials in structure monitoring fields. CFRP are verified to have an excellent performance during fatigue with low temperature increase and residual strain.

Advances in femtosecond laser direct writing of fiber Bragg gratings in multicore fibers:technology,sensor and laser applications

In this article,we review recent advances in the technology of writing fiber Bragg gratings(FBGs)in selected cores of multicore fibers(MCFs)by using femtosecond laser pulses.The writing technology of such a key element as the FBG opens up wide opportunities for the creation of next generation fiber lasers and sensors based on MCFs.The advantages of the technology are shown by using the examples of 3D shape sensors,acoustic emission sensors with spatially multiplexed channels,as well as multicore fiber Raman lasers.

Cascaded tilted fiber Bragg grating for enhanced refractive index sensing

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a cascaded tilted fiber Bragg grating（TFBG） for enhanced refractive index sensing. The TFBG is UV-inscribed in series in ordinary single-mode fiber（SMF） and reduced-diameter SMF with the same tilt angle, and then excites two sets of superposed spectral combs of cladding modes. The cascaded TFBG with total length of 18 mm has a much wider wavelength range over 100 nm and narrower wavelength separation than that of a TFBG only in the SMF, enabling an enlarged range and a higher accuracy of refractive index measurement. The fabricated TFBG with the merits of enhanced sensing capability and temperature self-calibration presents great potentials in the biochemical sensing applications.

Experimental Measurements of the Sensitivity of Fiber-optic Bragg Grating Sensors with a Soft Polymeric Coating under Mechanical Loading,Thermal and Magnetic under Cryogenic Conditions

The strain and temperature sensing performance of fiber-optic Bragg gratings （FBGs） with soft polymeric coating, which can be used to sense internal strain in superconducting coils, are evaluated under variable cryogenic field and magnetic field. The response to a temperature and strain change of coated-soft polymeric FBGs is tested by comparing with those of coated-metal FBGs. The results indicate that the coated-soft polymeric FBGs can freely detect temperature and thermal strain, their At variable magnetic field, the tested results indicate accuracy and repeatability are also discussed in detail. that the cross-coupling effects of FBGs with different matrixes are not negligible to measure electromagnetic strain during fast excitation. The present results are expected to be able to provide basis measurements on the strain of pulsed superconducting magnet/cable （cable- around-conduit conductors, cable-in-conduit conductors）, independently or utilized together with other strain measurement methods.

Fiber Bragg grating monitors for thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines

Running composite insulators are prone to failure due to their harsh surrounding work environment, which directly affects the safe operation of transmission lines. This paper puts forward the method of using fiber Bragg grating(FBG) as the monitors to parameters correlated with thermal and stress of the composite insulators in transmission lines at working status. Firstly, monitoring points are found out by the mechanical test on composite insulator samples. Secondly, based on the monitoring theory, this paper introduces the feasibility design frame of the composite insulator with FBG implanted in the rod and the online monitor system. At last, it describes applications of this monitor system in the field of transmission lines.

Kinetics investigations for holographic Bragg grating based on polymer dispersed liquid crystal

This paper investigates the monomer kinetics of polymer dispersed liquid crystal （PDLC） grating. Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectra are used in the studies of photoreaction kinetics. The results indicate that there is a relative stable stage arises after a very short initial stage. Based on FTIR studies, the monomer diffusion equation is deduced and necessary numerical simulations are carried out to analyse the monomer conversion which is an important point to improve phase separation structure of PDLC grating. Some simulation results have a good agreement with experimental data. In addition, the effects induced by monomer diffusion constant D and diffusion-polymerization-ratio rate R are discussed. Results show that monomer conversion can be improved by increasing value of D. Besides, a good equilibrium state （R = 1） is more beneficial to the diffusion of monomer which is important in the process of phase separation.

Lateral characteristics improvements of DBR laser diode with tapered Bragg grating

Broad area semiconductor laser(BAL)has poor lateral beam quality due to lateral mode competition,which limits its application as a high-power optical source.In this work,the distributed Bragg reflector laser diode with tapered grating(TDBR-LD)is studied.By changing the lateral width,the tapered grating increases the loss of high-order lateral modes,thus improving the lateral characteristics of the laser diode.The measuring results show that the TDBR-LD can achieve a single-lobe output under 0.9 A.In contrast to the straight distributed Bragg reflector laser diode(SDBR-LD),the lateral far field divergence of TDBR-LD is measured to be 5.23°at 1 A,representing a 17%decline.The linewidth of TDBR-LD is 0.4 nm at 0.2 A,which is reduced by nearly 43%in comparison with that of SDBR-LD.Meanwhile,both of the devices have a maximum output power value of approximate 470 mW.

Packaging Effects on Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Performance

In this paper, the effects of packaging material and structure of fiber Bragg grating sensor performance are investigated. The effects of thermal expansion coefficient of different embedding materials on the temperature sensitivities of the FBG sensors are studied both theoretically and experimentally with good agreement, which provides a means for selection of FBG packaging material to achieve desired temperature sensitivity. We also demonstrate a 4-point bending structured FBG lateral force sensor that measures up to 242N force with well-preserved reflection spectrum, whereas for 3-point bending structure, multiple-peaks start to occur when applied force reaches 72N.