SC192 Fiber Optic Sensors: Principles and Applications

Tuesday, May 6, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Michel Digonnet; Stanford Univ., USA

Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)

Course Description
This course will first describe the physical principles of the basic types of fiber-optic sensors, namely intensity-modulated, interferometric and wavelength-modulated sensors. Specific architectures based on standard and long-period fiber gratings, Mach-Zehnder, Fabry-Perot, and Sagnac interferometers, microbend sensors, etc. will be discussed. We will then review the design, principle and performance of the most common fiber sensors developed to measure common specific parameters, such as rotation rate, temperature, strain, pressure, current, acceleration, velocity and chemicals. Minimum detectable signal, dynamic range, interferometer biasing and polarization requirements, and sources of noise and means of reducing them will be described. Demodulation schemes used to retrieve the information from fiber sensors, distributed sensors, and multiplexing architectures (e.g., WDM and TDM) for addressing arrays containing large numbers of sensors will be covered. We will also briefly mention some of the sensor market opportunities, potential size and requirements.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:

• Gain a detailed knowledge of the physical principles of a wide variety of fiber-optic sensors.
• Describe the various fiber-optic sensors available to measure a particular parameter (e.g., temperature or rotation rate).
• Understand the origin of noise sources, their impact on the sensor performance, and means of reducing them.
• Select sensor designs for a specific application.
• Have a large database of literature references on fiber sensors at your fingertips.
• Understand how to multiplex multiple sensors in an array.
• Be aware of some of the dynamics and opportunities for fiber-optic sensor markets.

Intended Audience
The course is designed for research and development engineers and industry and academic researchers who want to understand the physical principles and characteristics of a broad range of fiber-optic sensors. Communication specialists interested in using optical sensing technologies to monitor optical networks will also benefit. Prior knowledge of the basic properties of optical fibers (modes, loss, dispersion, polarization issues) and common optical components (fiber couplers, WD) would be helpful

Instructor Biography
Michel Digonnet received the degree of engineering in physics from Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie de la Ville de Paris, the Diplome d'Etudes Approfondies in coherent optics from the University of Paris, Orsay (1978). He received his M.S. (1980) and Ph.D. (1983) in applied physics from Stanford University. His thesis research was centered on single-mode fiber couplers, wavelength-division multiplexers, and rare-earth-doped fiber lasers and amplifiers. From 1983 to 1986 he was employed by Litton Guidance and Control, Chatsworth, Calif., as a visiting scholar at Stanford, conducting research in miniature solid state sources and integrated optics for fiber sensors. From 1986 to 1990 he was involved in the development of dye and 2-µm solid-state lasers, fiber sensors and delivery systems for laser angioplasty at MCM Laboratories, Mountain View, Calif. Since then he has been a senior research associate in Stanford University's Applied Physics Department. His current interests include photonic-bandgap fibers, fiber sensors, and high-power lasers and amplifiers. He has published 200 articles, issued nearly 60 patents, edited several books, taught courses in fiber amplifiers, lasers and sensors, and chaired numerous conferences on optical fiber devices and fiber sensors.