Back to Search Start Over

Sensitivity Enhancement of Curvature Fiber Sensor Based on Polymer-Coated Capillary Hollow-Core Fiber

Authors :
Ivan Hernandez-Romano
Daniel A. May-Arrioja
Vladimir P. Minkovich
L. A. Herrera-Piad
Miguel Torres-Cisneros
Source :
Sensors, Vol 20, Iss 3763, p 3763 (2020), Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2020.

Abstract

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a simple technique to enhance the curvature sensitivity of a bending fiber optic sensor based on anti-resonant reflecting optical waveguide (ARROW) guidance. The sensing structure is assembled by splicing a segment of capillary hollow-core fiber (CHCF) between two single-mode fibers (SMF), and the device is set on a steel sheet for measuring different curvatures. Without any surface treatment, the ARROW sensor exhibits a curvature sensitivity of 1.6 dB/m−1 in a curvature range from 0 to 2.14 m−1. By carefully coating half of the CHCF length with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the curvature sensitivity of the ARROW sensor is enhanced to −5.62 dB/m−1, as well as an increment in the curvature range (from 0 to 2.68 m−1). Moreover, the covered device exhibits a low-temperature sensitivity (0.038 dB/°C), meaning that temperature fluctuations do not compromise the bending fiber optic sensor operation. The ARROW sensor fabricated with this technique has high sensitivity and a wide range for curvature measurements, with the advantage that the technique is cost-effective and easy to implement. All these features make this technique appealing for real sensing applications, such as structural health monitoring.

Details

ISSN :
14248220
Volume :
20
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Sensors
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....fe4a2fe269e9224693c22754932e112b
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/s20133763