Optical Fiber Technology | 2021
An enlarge polymer optical fiber linear-displacement sensor based on constructive interference
Abstract
Abstract We present a method for large displacement measurement based on light rays interference. Instead of fiber s end-face, we launched the light from the side of fiber using a LED-Belt (LB) as a light source. The relative movement between the LB and optical fiber corresponds to displacement change, and associated intensity variation is detected through a power meter. The linear-displacement has been achieved up to 1\xa0m with a sensitivity of about 1.532\xa0nW/mm, which results in a resolution of 0.653\xa0mm. The range can be further enlarged by increasing the length of fiber and LED-Belt depending on the application requirements. The proposed sensor method is simple, cost-effective, and easy to manufacture. The design structure also has significant potential for strain, pressure, and liquid level sensing as well as shape sensing.