Formation and precise geometry control of SNAP microresonators by external electrostatic fields

In SNAP (Surface nanoscale axial photonics) resonators propagation of a slow whispering gallery mode along an optical fiber is controlled by nanoscale variation of the effective radius of the fiber [1]. Similar behavior can be realized in so - called nanobump microresonators in which the introduced variation of the effective radius is asymmetric, i.e. depends on the axial coordinate [2]. The possibilities of realization of such structures “on the fly” in an optical fiber by applying external electrostatic fields to it is discussed in this work. It is shown that local variations in effective radius of the fiber and in its refractive index caused by external electric fields can be large enough to observe SNAP structure - like behavior in an originally flat optical fiber. Theoretical estimations of the introduced refractive index and effective radius changes and results of finite element calculations are presented. Various effects are taken into account: electromechanical (piezoelectricity and electrostriction), electro-optical (Pockels and Kerr effects) and elasto-optical effect. Different initial fibre cross-sections are studied. The aspects of use of linear isotropic (such as silica) and non-linear anisotropic (such as lithium niobate) materials of the fiber are discussed. REFERENCES [1] M. Sumetsky, J. M. Fini, Opt. Exp. 19, 26470 (2011). [2] L. A. Kochkurov, M. Sumetsky, Opt. Lett. 40, 1430 (2015).

Advantages of strong mode coupling for suppression of nonlinear distortion in few-mode fibers

Nonlinear distortion in few-mode fibers for intermediate coupling is studied for the first time. Coupling strengths beyond -20 dB/100m give suppression of nonlinear distortion below the isolated mode without mode coupling.

First experimental demonstration of nonlinear inverse synthesis transmission over transoceanic distances

We demonstrate for the first time, the transmission performance of 10Gbaud nonlinear inverse synthesis based signal over transoceanic distances, showing a significant improvement in data capacity x distance product (x12) compared with other NFT-based systems.

Fibre optic chemical sensor based on graphene oxide-coated long period grating

In this work, a graphene oxide-coated long period fibre grating (GO-LPG) is proposed for chemical sensing application. Graphene oxide (GO) has been deposited on the surface of long period grating to form a sensing layer which significantly enhances the interaction between LPG propagating light and the surrounding-medium. The sensing mechanism of GO-LPG relies on the change of grating resonance intensity against surrounding-medium refractive index (SRI). The proposed GO-LPG has been used to measure the concentrations of sugar aqueous solutions. The refractive index sensitivities with 99.5 dB/RIU in low refractive index region (1.33-1.35) and 320.6 dB/RIU in high index region (1.42-1.44) have been achieved, showing an enhancement by a factor of 3.2 and 6.8 for low and high index regions, respectively. The proposed GO-LPG can be further extended to the development of optical biochemical sensor with advantages of high sensitivity, real-time and label-free sensing.

Polymer photonic crystal fibre for sensor applications

Polymer photonic crystal fibres combine two relatively recent developments in fibre technology. On the one hand, polymer optical fibre has very different physical and chemical properties to silica. In particular, polymer fibre has a much smaller Young's modulus than silica, can survive higher strains, is amenable to organic chemical processing and, depending on the constituent polymer, may absorb water. All of these features can be utilised to extend the range of applications of optical fibre sensors. On the other hand, the photonic crystal - or microstructured - geometry also offers advantages: flexibility in the fibre design including control of the dispersion properties of core and cladding modes, the possibility of introducing minute quantities of analyte directly into the electric field of the guided light and enhanced pressure sensitivity. When brought together these two technologies provide interesting possibilities for fibre sensors, particularly when combined with fibre Bragg or long period gratings. This paper discusses the features of polymer photonic crystal fibre relevant to sensing and provides examples of the applications demonstrated to date. © 2010 Copyright SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering.

All-analogue real-time filter bank OFDM over 50 Km of SSMF using a novel synchronization technique

A 21.6 Gbit/s 1.78 bit/s/Hz OFDM signal is transmitted over 50 Km of fiber without using DSP in the transmitter or the receiver. The synchronization scheme only requires one PLL to synchronize all the subcarriers.

Experimental comparison of artificial neural network and volterra based nonlinear equalization for CO-OFDM

A novel artificial neural network (ANN)-based nonlinear equalizer (NLE) of low complexity is demonstrated for 40-Gb/s CO-OFDM at 2000 km, revealing ∼1.5 dB enhancement in Q-factor compared to inverse Volterra-series transfer function based NLE.

Optical in-fiber Bragg grating sensor systems for medical applications

Two in-fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensor systems for medical applications are demonstrated: (1) an FBG flow-directed thermodilution catheter based on interferometric detection of wavelength shift that is used for cardiac monitoring; and (2) an FBG sensor system with a tunable Fabry-Perot filter for in vivo temperature profiling in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) machines. Preliminary results show that the FBG sensor is in good agreement with electrical sensors that are widely used in practice. A field test shows that the FBG sensor system is suitable for in situ temperature profiling in NMR machines for medical applications.

Self-mixing-based demodulation technique for dynamic fiber Bragg grating strain sensors

We report a novel demodulation scheme for the detection of small Bragg wavelength shifts in a fiber Bragg grating strain sensor by exploiting the optical feedback reflected from the grating structure back into a 1310 nm laser diode integrating a photodiode. The dynamic strain generated by a mechanical vibrator is applied transversely to the fiber Bragg grating and the desired longitudinal strain values inferred from the detected sawtooth-like optical feedback signals. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of this demodulation technique for strain measurement which could be further extended to fiber Bragg grating-based sensors for the detection of different measurands in general.

Optical chemsensor based on etched tilted Bragg grating structures in multimode fiber

We present a simple optical chemsensor device based on tilted Bragg grating structures ultraviolet-inscribed in conventional multimode fiber and sensitized by a hydrofluoric (HF)-etching treatment. The transition behaviors of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) from normal to tilted structures and their spectral evolution under HF-etching have been studied. The etched devices have been used to measure the concentrations of sugar solution, showing a potential capability of detecting concentration changes as small as 0.5%, which is an order of magnitude lower than that of previously reported FBG sensors in single-mode fiber.

Influence of mounting on the hysteresis of polymer fiber Bragg grating strain sensors

Fiber Bragg grating sensors recorded in poly(methyl methacrylate) fiber often exhibit hysteresis in the response of Bragg wavelength to strain, particularly when exposed to high levels of strain. We show that, when such a fiber grating sensor is bonded directly to a substrate, the hysteresis is reduced by more than 12 times, compared to the case where the sensor is suspended freely between two supports. © 2013 Optical Society of America.

Self-mixing-based demodulation technique for dynamic fiber Bragg grating strain sensors

We report a novel demodulation scheme for the detection of small Bragg wavelength shifts in a fiber Bragg grating strain sensor by exploiting the optical feedback reflected from the grating structure back into a 1310 nm laser diode integrating a photodiode. The dynamic strain generated by a mechanical vibrator is applied transversely to the fiber Bragg grating and the desired longitudinal strain values inferred from the detected sawtooth-like optical feedback signals. Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of this demodulation technique for strain measurement which could be further extended to fiber Bragg grating-based sensors for the detection of different measurands in general.