Brillouin scattering in optical fibers is widely harnessed for various sensing applications, particularly strain and temperature monitoring. Fiber design/engineering is crucial for optimizing the potential of Brillouin scattering in specialty optical fibers. In this work, we numerically investigate the design recommendations involved in optimizing ring core fibers (RCFs) for discriminate strain and temperature sensing, and additionally, we explored the key design guidelines for achieving high sensitivity in strain and temperature measurements. Our investigation showed that an RCF with a large ring layer, high refractive index contrast, and multiple ring layers portrays enhanced sensitivities to strain and temperature variations.
Next-generation mode division multiplexing (MDM) systems aim to integrate concurrent functionalities within a single optical fiber efficiently. In this work, we report on harnessing MDM to simultaneously provide data transmission and power delivery over a two-mode fiber (TMF). We deployed a 1-km TMF to convey a 1 Gbps on-off keying (OOK) data signal and deliver a 17.12 mW input optical power. Through switching the mode allocation (LP01/LP11 for data/power), we examined the suitability of both integrated communication and PWoF functionalities. During our analysis, we established a robust communication link with 1.933×10−5 bit error rate (BER) using the LP11 mode for communication while simultaneously achieving electrical power delivery of ∼2.75 mW at the receiver side using the LP10 mode. This successful integration proves the feasibility of harnessing the TMF for simultaneous data and power transmission in next-generation integrated systems/networks encompassing communication and power.
Fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) has been deployed for real-time monitoring of various physical phenomena. The operational principle of DAS relies on monitoring backscattered light from a fiber while leaving the pump optical pulses to get wasted at the fiber distal end. Here, we report on energy harvesting from the DAS pump optical signal to supply energy to passive devices. In this work, a DAS over a ∼1.1-km single-mode fiber (SMF) detects a 200-Hz vibration event produced by a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) while harvesting a 1.58–mW optical signal to charge a 10-F supercapacitor.
KEYWORDS: Acoustics, Single mode fibers, Signal to noise ratio, Sensors, Optical sensing, Optical amplifiers, Machine learning, Data modeling, Continuous wave operation, Signal detection
Red palm weevil (RPW) is a harmful pest that has wiped out many palm plantations worldwide. Early detection of RPW is difficult, especially on large plantations. Here, we report on combining fiber–optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) and machine learning to detect weevil larvae less than three weeks old, in a controlled environment. In particular, we use the temporal and spectral data provided by a fiber–optic DAS system to train a convolutional neural network (CNN), which distinguishes “healthy” and “infested” signals with a classification accuracy higher than 97%. Additionally, a rigorous machine learning classification approach is introduced to improve the false alarm performance metric by >20%.
Optical-time-domain-reflectometer (OTDR) suffers from the existence of dead-zones along a deployed fiber under test (FUT). Within a dead-zone, OTDR typically fails to provide any reliable diagnostic information. We here use a fewmode fiber (FMF) to completely cancel the OTDR dead-zone produced by the front facet reflection of the FUT. In particular, we launch the optical pulses in the form of the LP01 mode into the FMF, and meanwhile we record the Rayleigh signal from the higher-order modes. The developed system successfully monitors the amplitude and frequency of a vibration event produced by a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) located within the dead-zone.
A quasicontinuously wavelength tuned self-injection locked blue laser diode system employing a prism is presented. A rigorous analysis of the injection ratio (IR) in the form of three systems, namely high (HRS, ∼ − 0.7 dB IR), medium (MRS, ∼ − 1.5 dB IR), and low (LRS, ∼ − 3.0 dB IR) reflection systems, showed a direct relationship with the wavelength tunability whereas the usable system power exhibited an inverse correlation. In particular, MRS configuration demonstrated a concurrent optimization of tuning window and system power, thus emerging as a highly attractive candidate for practical realization. Moreover, a comprehensive investigation on two distinct MRS configurations employing different commercially available InGaN/GaN blue lasers, i.e., MRS-1 and MRS-2, displayed a wavelength tunability (system power) of ∼8.2 nm (∼7.6 mW) and ∼6.3 nm (∼11.6 mW), respectively, at a low injection current of 130 mA. In addition, both MRS configurations maintained high-performance characteristic with corresponding average optical linewidths of ∼80 and ∼58 pm and a side-mode-suppression-ratio of ≥12 dB. Lastly, a thorough stability analysis of HRS and MRS configurations, which are more prone to system instabilities due to elevated IRs, is performed at critical operation conditions of a high injection current of ≥260 mA and a temperature of 40°C, showing an extended stable performance of over 120 min, thus further substantiating the promising features of the prism-based systems for practical applications.
Optical fiber distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) and distributed temperature sensor (DTS) are considerably desirable for many important applications including oil and gas industry. Simultaneous measurements of vibration and temperature will exclude the need for two separate DAS and DTS systems, reduce overall cost, and ensure continuous real-time monitoring of these two important sensing parameters. We here devise a hybrid DAS-DTS system using a few-mode fiber (FMF). Although the system requirements for DAS and DTS are quite different, FMF is considered an ideal compromise to satisfy the requirements of the two systems.
We experimentally report a proof-of-concept demonstration of a few-mode fiber (FMF) based distributed acoustic sensor (DAS) design, aiming at upgrading the capabilities of the typical DAS that employs the standard single mode fiber (SMF). We only excite the fundamental mode at the input port of the FMF, and further, we minimize the impact of intermodal coupling within it such that the FMF operates in a quasi-single mode (QSM) state. The QSM operated FMF keeps the basic operation principle of the DAS valid and, in comparison with the standard SMF, it allows injection of higher pump peak-power before reaching the threshold power of nonlinearity. We validate our design by sensing vibration events produced by a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) cylinder. The FMF based DAS successfully figures out the locations and frequencies of these events. This reported design would enable the realization of a DAS design with longer sensing range and higher spatial resolution, in comparison to the standard SMF based DAS.
KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Acoustics, Sensors, Signal processing, Single mode fibers, Optical fibers, Interference (communication), Fiber optics sensors, Transducers
We experimentally report a normalized differential signal processing technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a fiber optic distributed acoustic sensor (DAS), in the time-domain. The introduced method is calibrated through comparing it with the typical differential method when using a noisy DAS system that includes a relatively wide linewidth laser. For this system, the normalized differential method allows measuring the vibration locations, produced by a piezoelectric transducer (PZT) cylinder, with enhanced SNR.
Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) based distributed optical fiber sensors have been deployed in a myriad of potential applications. Recently, the characteristics of SBS in few-mode-fibers (FMFs) have been investigated for designing optical sensors of high selectivity. For example, monitoring SBS of the individual modes in a two-mode fiber (TMF) allows simultaneous sensing of temperature and strain. In optical communications, on contrary, SBS degrades the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and limits the channel capacity. We here experimentally measure the threshold power required to stimulate Brillouin scattering in an FMF when using different mode-pair combinations as pump and probe signals. In particular, we use mode-division-multiplexing (MDM) to launch different linearly-polarized (LP) modes into the both ends of a TMF. For each mode-pair, we gradually raise the pump power until observing the transition from spontaneous to stimulated Brillouin scattering. The results presented here are considerably important for designing efficient FMF-based optical communications/sensing system.
Group III-nitride semiconductor materials especially AlGaN are key-emerging candidates for the advancement of ultraviolet (UV) photonic devices. Numerous nanophotonics approaches using nanostructures (e.g., nanowires, nanorods, and quantum dots/disks) and nanofabrication (e.g., substrate patterning, photonic crystals, nanogratings, and surface-plasmons) have been demonstrated to address the material growth challenges and to enhance the device efficiencies of photonic devices operating at UV wavelengths. Here, we review the progress of nanophotonics implementations using nanostructured interfaces and nanofabrication approaches for the group III-nitride semiconductors to realize efficient UV-based photonic devices. The existing challenges of nanophotonics applications are presented. This review aims to provide analysis of state-of-the-art nanophotonic approaches in advancing the UV-photonic devices based on group III-nitride semiconductors.
With the development of mode-division-multiplexing (MDM), few mode fibers (FMFs) have found a wide range of
applications in optical sensing and communications. However, how to precisely control the mode composition of optical
signals in FMFs remains a difficult challenge. In this paper, we present an adaptive mode control method that can
selectively excite the linearly polarized (LP) mode within the FMF. The method is based on using optical pulses
reflected by a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for wavefront optimization. Two potential applications are discussed. First, we
theoretically demonstrate the feasibility of large scale multiplexing of absorption based fiber optical sensors. Second, we
discuss the possibility of using mode dependent loss to reconstruct the spatial distributions of absorptive chemicals
diffused within a FMF.
This work investigates the relationship between the Q factor of a silica microsphere coated with nonlinear optical molecules and the surface density of the nonlinear molecules. Two types of nonlinear molecules are studied: poly{1-[p-(3′-carboxy-4′-hydroxyphenylazo) benzenesulfonamido]-1,2-ethandiyl} (PCBS), and Procion Brown MX-GRN (PB). In our experiments, we coat silica microspheres with ionic self-assembled multilayer films with different thicknesses as well as with different PCBS/PB chromophores densities. The Q factors of the coated microspheres are measured to be within the range of 106 to 107, which can be attributed to the optical absorption of the coated chromophores. This work can be used to experimentally determine the effective density of chromophores assembled on the silica microsphere. It may also find applications in chemical/biological sensing.
This work investigates the relationship between the Q factor of a silica-microsphere coated with nonlinear optical molecules and the surface density of the molecules. Two types of nonlinear molecules are studied: poly {1-[p-(3′-carboxy-4’-hydroxyphenylazo) benzenesulfonamido]-1, 2-ethandiyl} (PCBS), and Procion Brown MX-GRN (PB). In our experiments, we coat silica microspheres with ionic self-assembled multilayer (ISAM) films with different thickness values as well as different PCBS/PB chromophore densities. The Q factors of the coated microspheres are limited to the range of 106-107, which can be attributed to the optical absorption of the coated chromophores. This work can be used to experimentally determine the effective density of chromophores assembled on the silica microsphere. It may also find applications in chemical / biological sensing.
As an amorphous material with full inversion symmetry, silica-based microstructures cannot possess significant secondorder nonlinearity. We recently developed a method that can potentially overcome this deficiency by coating a silica fiber taper with layers of radially aligned nonlinear molecules. The coating process can be accomplished through layerby- layer self-assembly, where the alignment of the nonlinear molecules is maintained through electrostatic interaction. As a result, the nonlinear fiber structures are thermodynamically stable and can generate significant second-order nonlinear responses despite their full rotational symmetry. This prediction has been experimentally confirmed through SHG measurements. To further enhance the overall second-order nonlinearity, we have developed an UV-ablation-based approach that can generate second-order nonlinearity that is spatially periodic along the fiber taper. Our preliminary experiments suggest that SHG intensity can be enhanced by such quasi-phase-matching configurations.
We can also use the self-assembly approach to construct tunable plasmonic systems. As a proof-of-concept study, we assembled swellable polymer films over a planar Au substrate through layer-by-layer assembly and covered the swellable polymer with a monolayer of quantum dots. After immersing the swellable plasmonic structure in solution and adjusting its pH value, we used a fluorescence lifetime based approach to demonstrate that the thickness of the swellable polymers can be modified by almost 400%. The fluorescence lifetime measurements also confirmed that the plasmonic resonance can be significantly modified by the swellable polymers.
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