[OPTICAL REVIEW Vol. 4, No. 1A (1997) 75-79]
Polarimetric Optical Fiber Sensors: Aspects of Sensitivity and Practical Implementation
Yyves VERBANDT,1 Bart VERWILGHEN,1 Peter CLOETENS, Luk Van KEMPEN,1 Hugo THIENPONT,1 Irina VERETENNICOFF,1 Greta Van VINCKENROY,2 W. Patrick De WILDE2 and Marc R.H. VOET3
1Lab for Photonic Computing and Perception, Applied Physics Department, 2Structural Analysis Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, 3Identity e.e.i.g., Ispralaan 75, 2400 Mol, Belgium
(Received June 28, 1996; Accepted September 9, 1996)
An analytical model for the pressure and strain sensitivity of highly-birefringent fibers is proposed which is in excellent agreement with numerical calculations. Results of polarimetry and coherence-multiplexing experiments are presented and a novel method for accurately splicing this kind of fibers is demonstrated.
Key words : polarization, birefringent optical fibers, stress and strain sensors