Spectral characteristics of tapered LPG device as a sensing element for refractive index and temperature

The fabrication and characterization of long-period gratings (LPGs) in fiber tapers is presented alongside supporting theory. The devices possess a high sensitivity to the index of aqueous solutions due to an observed spectral bifurcation effect, yielding a limiting index resolution of ±8.5×10-5 for solutions with an index in the range 1.330-1.335.

Optical fiber cavity ring down measurement of refractive index with a microchannel drilled by femtosecond laser

A microchannel was inscribed in the fiber of a ring cavity which was constructed using two 0.1%:99.9% couplers and a 10-m fiber loop. Cavity ring down spectroscopy was used to measure the refractive index (RI) of gels infused into the microchannel. The ring down time discloses a nonlinear increase with respect to RI of the gel and sensitivity up to 300 µs/RI unit and an index resolution of 1.4 × 10 was obtained. © 2009 IEEE.

Refractive and corneal astigmatism in white school children in Northern Ireland

To study the prevalence of and relation between refractive and corneal astigmatism in white school children in Northern Ireland and to describe the association between refractive astigmatism and refractive error.

Advanced optical fibre gratings and applications

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT This thesis describes a detailed study of advanced optical fibre sensors based on fibre Bragg grating (FBG), tilted fibre Bragg grating (TFBG) and long-period grating (LPG) and their applications in optical communications and sensing. The major contributions presented in this thesis are summarised below.The most important contribution from the research work presented in this thesis is the implementation of in-fibre grating based refractive index (RI) sensors, which could be the good candidates for optical biochemical sensing. Several fibre grating based RI sensors have been proposed and demonstrated by exploring novel grating structures and different fibre types, and employing efficient hydrofluoric acid etching technique to enhance the RI sensitivity. All the RI devices discussed in this thesis have been used to measure the concentration of sugar solution to simulate the chemical sensing. Efforts have also been made to overcome the RI-temperature cross-sensitivity for practical application. The demonstrated in-fibre grating based RI sensors could be further implemented as potential optical biosensors by applying bioactive coatings to realise high bio-sensitivity and bio-selectivity.Another major contribution of this thesis is the application of TFBGs. A prototype interrogation system by the use of TFBG with CCD-array was implemented to perform wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) interrogation around 800nm wavelength region with the advantages of compact size, fast detection speed and low-cost. As a high light, a novel in-fibre twist sensors utilising strong polarisation dependant coupling behaviour of an 81°-TFBG was presented to demonstrate the high torsion sensitivity and capability of direction recognition.

Low refractive index gas sensing using a Surface Plasmon Resonance fibre device

A series of surface plasmonic fibre devices were fabricated using multiple coatings deposited on a lapped section of a single mode fibre. Coupling from the guided mode to surface plasmons was promoted following UV laser irradiation of the coated region through a phase mask, which generated a surface relief grating structure. The devices showed high spectral sensitivities and strong coupling for low refractive indices as compared to other grating-type fibre devices. The plasmonic devices were used to detect the variation in the refractive indices of alkane gases with measured wavelength and coupling sensitivity to index of 3400 nm RIU-1 and 8300 dB RIU-1, respectively. As a demonstration of the performance of these gas sensors, a minimum concentration of 2% by volume of butane in ethane was achieved.

Influence of accommodation and refractive status on the peripheral refractive profile

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine, objectively and non-invasively, whether changes in accommodative demand modify differentially the peripheral refraction in emmetropic and myopic human eyes. METHODS: Forty subjects (19 male, 21 female) aged 20-30 years (mean 22.7 (SD 2.8) years), 21 emmetropes (mean spherical equivalent refractive error (MSE) -0.13 (SD 0.29) D) and 19 myopes (MSE -2.95 (SD 1.76) D) participated in the study. Ametropia was corrected with soft contact lenses (etafilcon A, 58% water content). Subjects viewed monocularly a stationary, high contrast (85%) Maltese cross at 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 D of accommodative demand and at 0, 10, 20 and 30 degrees field angle (nasal and temporal) through a +3.0 D Badal optical system. Static recordings of the accommodation response were obtained for each accommodative level, at each field angle, with an objective, open-view, infrared optometer. RESULTS: Peripheral mean spherical equivalent (M) data showed that the emmetropic cohort exhibited relative myopic shifts into the periphery, while the myopic group showed hypermetropic shifts. Increasing accommodative demand did not alter the peripheral refractive profile in either the temporal (p = 0.25) or nasal (p = 0.07) periphery with no differential accommodative effect between refractive groups in either the temporal (p = 0.77) or nasal (p = 0.73) field. Significant shifts in the J(0) astigmatic component were seen in the temporal (p<0.0005) and nasal (p<0.0005) fields with increasing eccentricity. Interaction effects between eccentricity and accommodative demand illustrated that increasing accommodative demand significantly altered the peripheral refractive profile in the temporal J(0) astigmatic component (p<0.0005). The nasal periphery, however, failed to show such an effect (p = 0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Alterations in peripheral refraction augmented by changes in ocular accommodation are relatively unaffected by refractive error for young, healthy human eyes.

Sensitivity of LPGs in PCFs fabricated by an electric arc to temperature, strain, and external refractive index

Sensing properties of long-period gratings (LPGs) fabricated in photonic crystal fibers by an electric arc are explained and quantified by semianalytical and numerical models. In particular, the grating's insensitivity to temperature and simultaneous sensitivity to strain and refractive index are simulated. The modeling procedure is generalized so that it can be applied to a wide range of LPGs in various fibers.

Simultaneous refractive index and temperature measurement using a cascaded long-period grating device

We present a compact scheme for simultaneous temperature and surrounding refractive index (SRI) measurement using two long period gratings (LPGs) of different periods inscribed side-by-side in a single piece of a double-cladding fibre. One of the LPGs is sensitive to both SRI and temperature changes whilst the second is SRI-insensitive but shows spectral shift with temperature changes. In addition, we show that a resonance peak of the SRI-insensitive LPG can be designed to appear in the EDFA wavelength region with potential use for gain flattening applications.

Enhanced information transmission with signal dependent noise in an array of LIF neurons

Sensory cells usually transmit information to afferent neurons via chemical synapses, in which the level of noise is dependent on an applied stimulus. Taking into account such dependence, we model a sensory system as an array of LIF neurons with a common signal. We show that information transmission is enhanced by a nonzero level of noise. Moreover, we demonstrate a phenomenon similar to suprathreshold stochastic resonance with additive noise. We remark that many properties of information transmission found for the LIF neurons was predicted by us before with simple binary units [Phys. Rev. E 75, 021121 (2007)]. This confirmation of our predictions allows us to point out identical roots of the phenomena found in the simple threshold systems and more complex LIF neurons.

Sol–gel derived coating applied to long-period gratings for enhanced refractive index sensing properties

Long-period fibre gratings (LPGs) have previously been used to detect quantities such as temperature, strain, and refractive index (RI). We report here, to the best of our knowledge, the first investigation on refractive index sensing properties of LPGs with sol–gel derived titanium and silicon oxide coatings. It is revealed that the RI sensitivity of an LPG is affected by both the thickness and the index value of the coating; a coating with higher index and thickness will enhance the LPG RI sensitivity significantly. The surrounding refractive index induced LPG resonance shift has been evaluated over the LPGs' most sensitive RI region from 1.42 to 1.44. We have identified that, in this region, the uncoated LPG has an RI sensitivity of (-673.0 ± 0.4) nm/uri (unit of refractive index) while the LPG coated with titanium oxide exhibits a sensitivity as high as (-1067.15 ± 0.04) nm/uri. The experimental results also reveal that, even in the RI insensitive region around 1.33, there still is a marked enhancement in RI sensitivity of the sol–gel coated LPG compared to the uncoated one. This is potentially significant as coated LPGs may be extended to low RI gas and semi-liquidized based sensing applications.

Microchannelled chirped fibre Bragg grating based refractive index sensor formed by femto-second laser processing and HF-etching

The microchannelled chirped fibre Bragg grating (MCFBG) was fabricated using femtosecond laser processing and HF-etching. Intrinsical refractive-index sensitivity induced by the microchannel makes MCFBGs ideal for biochemical sensing.

800 nm WDM interrogation system for strain, temperature, and refractive index sensing based on tilted fiber Bragg grating

A low-cost high-resolution wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) interrogation system operating around 800 nm region with operational bandwidth up to 60 nm and resolution of 12.7 pm utilizing a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) and a CCDarray detector has been implemented. The system has been evaluated for interrogating fiber Bragg grating based strain, temperature sensors, giving sensitivities of 0.59 pm/µe and 5.6 pm/°C, which are in good agreement with previously reported values. Furthermore, the system has been utilized to detect the refractive index change of sample liquids, demonstrating a capability of measuring index change as small as 10¯5. In addition, the vectorial expression of phase match condition and fabrication of TFBG have been discussed.

Microchanneled chirped fibre Bragg gratings for simultaneous refractive index and temperature measurements

We report here the fabrication, charaterisation and refractive index sensing of two microchanneled chirped fiber Bragg gratings (MCFBGs) with different channel sizes (~550µm and ~1000µm). The chirped grating structures were UV-inscribed in optical fibre and the microchannels were created in the middle of the CFBGs by femtosecond (fs) laser assisted chemical etching method. The creation of microchannels in the CFBG structures gives an access to the external index liquid, thus inducing refractive index (RI) sensitivity to the structure. In comparison with previously reported FBG based RI sensors, for which the cladding layers usually were removed, the MCFBGs represent a more ideal solution for robust devices as the microchannel will not degrade the structure strength. The two MCFBGs were spectrally charaterised for their RI and temperature responses and both gratings exhibited unique thermal and RI sensitivities, which may be utilised for implementation of bio-chemical sensors with capability to eliminate temperature crosssensitivity.

Visual acuity measures do not reliably detect childhood refractive error - an epidemiological study

Purpose To investigate the utility of uncorrected visual acuity measures in screening for refractive error in white school children aged 6-7-years and 12-13-years. Methods The Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study used a stratified random cluster design to recruit children from schools in Northern Ireland. Detailed eye examinations included assessment of logMAR visual acuity and cycloplegic autorefraction. Spherical equivalent refractive data from the right eye were used to classify significant refractive error as myopia of at least 1DS, hyperopia as greater than +3.50DS and astigmatism as greater than 1.50DC, whether it occurred in isolation or in association with myopia or hyperopia. Results Results are presented from 661 white 12-13-year-old and 392 white 6-7-year-old school-children. Using a cut-off of uncorrected visual acuity poorer than 0.20 logMAR to detect significant refractive error gave a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 92% in 6-7-year-olds and 73% and 93% respectively in 12-13-year-olds. In 12-13-year-old children a cut-off of poorer than 0.20 logMAR had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 91% in detecting myopia and a sensitivity of 41% and a specificity of 84% in detecting hyperopia. Conclusions Vision screening using logMAR acuity can reliably detect myopia, but not hyperopia or astigmatism in school-age children. Providers of vision screening programs should be cognisant that where detection of uncorrected hyperopic and/or astigmatic refractive error is an aspiration, current UK protocols will not effectively deliver.