Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2005. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 114 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-114).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [180]-182).

Thesis (M. S.)--Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. / Dr. William P. King, Committee Member ; Dr. F. Levent Degertekin, Committee Member ; Dr. Thomas R. Kurfess, Committee Chair.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-184).

The aim of this project is to fabricate highly efficient grating couplers in thin-film silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, which have a silicon (Si) thickness of the order of 1 mum. These thin-film waveguides allow the development of higher speed Si optical modulators, sensors and vertical surface coupling for Si light emitting diodes (LEDs), Hence, SOI rectangular and blazed grating couplers were fabricated where the buried oxide layer in SOI was designed as a reflective layer. The former gratings were fabricated by electron beam lithography followed by reactive ion etching, while the latter gratings were fabricated by angled argon ion beam etching. Both types of grating were designed at the diffraction order of -1, for a wavelength of 1.3 mum. The fabricated rectangular gratings have grating heights of 0.14, 0.23, 0.30 and 0.44 mum and a pitch of 0.40 mum whereas the sawtooth blazed gratings have a grating depth of 0.08 mum and a period of 0.38 mum To our knowledge, no Si blazed gratings with a pitch of less than 500 nm have been fabricated before. The SOI rectangular grating couplers yield a maximum output efficiency of 71 +/- 5 % towards the superstrate, while the blazed grating couplers produce an output efficiency of 84 +/- 5 % towards the substrate. These experimental output efficiencies are the highest yet reported in SOI for each grating profile, respectively. In addition, an optical loss of 0.15 +/- 0.05 dB/cm of Unibond SOI was measured for the first time. Furthermore, the experimental output efficiencies of the grating couplers with various grating heights were found to be consistent with perturbation theory. Thus, our aim of designing and fabricating an highly efficient thin film SOI waveguide grating coupler has been achieved. These grating couplers may enhance the applications of integrated optics in Si, and may allow the development of devices such as those mentioned above.

M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering) / The dissertation explores the applications and limitations of optic Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors for the purpose of structural health monitoring of high performance composite aerospace structures. The absence of a set of stringent performance criteria governing the form and function of a sensory system for embedded high performance applications highlights the major hurdle to be overcome before widespread acceptance of these technologies becomes apparent. The dissertation therefore develops through an extensive literature study a basic framework of performance criteria to be met by the sensory system upon which a prototype Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system can be further developed. The resolution of the performance criteria into categories of mechanical and non-mechanical performance allows independent evaluation of factors that directly affect the performance of the sensor (in terms of strength, embeddability and load carrying ability) as well as its functional performance (in terms of orientation, spatial resolution and measurement philosophy). The literature study uses the non-mechanical performance limitations as a guideline for the selection of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors as the sensory mechanism. The mechanical performance limitations of these specific sensors are then called into question and evaluated. Independent experiment campaigns are therefore developed to evaluate the mechanical and non-mechanical performance limitations such that a set of performance criteria can be developed governing the use of embedded sensory systems. Non mechanical performance with particular emphasis on sensor placement and orientation is investigated by simulating a fixed-free Euler Bernoulli cantilever using the Finite Element Method (FEM). The ability of the sensor to identify structural changes by measuring changes in modal response shows good results. Furthermore the inability of modal based monitoring to identify structural changes in the vicinity of modal inflection points is identified as an opportunity to locate structural deficiencies by monitoring multiple modes with known inflection point positions. The method also provides recommendations of sensor placement and orientation (close to the beam fixture and parallel with the neutral axis) such that the effectiveness of strain component measurements from all measurable modes is maximised. Mechanical performance of embedded FBG sensors is evaluated through an extensive fracture testing program which measures the fracture strains of fibre samples subjected to two-point bending. The fracture test program allows the quantification of the effects of the presence of the fibre’s protective polymer coating on fibre embeddability in composites, the consequent effects that the removal of this coating has on the mechanical performance and fracture behaviour of FBG sensors. These effects are qualified and mitigatory measures developed to improve the mechanical performance. A system of crack masking, hydrofluoric acid etching and fibre treatment is developed and statistical data analysis methods are employed and refined such that improvements in the mechanical properties of the FBG sensors can be quantified. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed mechanical performance improvements yields good results culminating in the development of a comprehensive set of mechanical performance criteria to facilitate further development of a reliable SHM system.

M.Phil. / Linearly chirped fibre Bragg gratings can be used to compensate dispersions in a fibre transmission system. Various methods have been developed to chirp fibre gratings. It is proposed that a uniform period grating can be chirped by applying an axially linear strain gradient. In this project, we shall demonstate a novel method for making chirped fibre Bragg gratings, which involves bonding an unchirped fibre Bragg grating of 5cm length to the surface of a tapered stainless steel plate which is strained by bending or dilating. This allows a strain gradient to be formed along the grating length through the transferring of strains from the plate to the fibre. The profiles of tapered stainless steel plates have been determined by means of the finite element method and computer simulations to establish the strain gradient during loading. Ten conventional resistive strain gauges are also bonded on the other surface for strain measurements. Because of the strain gradient, the local Bragg wavelength is a function of the position along the length of the fibre grating so that the grating chirp is an automatic consequence of the strain gradient. This method provides the dynamic control of Bragg wavelength shift, peak reflectivity and spectral bandwidth, and its tunability is also suitable for optimising pulse compression and optical fibre dispersion compensation. Using couple-mode equations, we have also calculated the reflection response of a chirped fibre grating. It is shown that the close agreement between the theoretical and the experimental results suggests that the strain gradient technique provides good control of the Bragg grating chirp and the center wavelength of a chirped fibre Bragg grating.

M.Ing. / Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) have been manufactured for the first time in South Africa by means of the phase mask method. It is possible to manufacture not only uniform FBGs, but also chirped FBGs. The optical fibre that is used for imprinting the FBGs can also be hydrogen loaded locally. FBGs with a reflectivity of 99.7% and higher can be written by making use of the experimental setup presented in this thesis. It is possible to manufacture a FBG with a centre wavelength that has any value between the Bragg wavelength and approximately 6 nm lower than the Bragg wavelength. This is done by stretching the optical fibre prior to the writing process. FBGs have been simulated in MATLAB to get an idea of what one may expect during the manufacturing process. The program makes it possible to simulate the effects of changes in grating length, index modulation, pressure, temperature and strain on the centre wavelength of an FBG. Dispersion is explained in detail. Chromatic dispersion, which is part of dispersion as a whole, can be cancelled by making use of an FBG. The different techniques for the measurement of chromatic dispersion is explained. Some insight is given on dispersion (the pulse broadening in the time domain due to the different velocities of different wavelengths from the source's finite optical bandwidth) compensation. An FBG that was manufactured locally has been tested as a dispersion compensator. It was found that an FBG is effective in performing this function.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, PCR tests were widely used for large-scale testing and screening. Yet, this technique requires bulky and time-consuming procedures to prepare the samples collected from the patients before their analysis by well-trained experts with expensive and specific equipment. PCR is therefore not competitive as a technique of detection for a widespread and rapid use in point-of-care sites. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for cheap and easy-to-implement biosensors. Surface plasmon resonance based sensors were suggested as a promising alternative in recent years. Indeed, they enable real-time and label-free detection of a wide range of analytes. That explains their widespread use in various fields of applications such as pharmacology, toxicology, food safety, and diagnosis. This thesis proposes and demonstrates a new plasmonic configuration of detection, which can address challenges posed by point-of-care settings. The gratings used as transducers in this configuration were fabricated based on laser interference lithography combined with a nanoimprinting process. The responses of these nanostructures interrogated by a p-polarized light beam result in a transfer of energy between two diffracted orders over an angular scan. This optical phenomenon termed as “optical switch”, was theoretically and experimentally investigated and optimized. The principle of detection based on this specific configuration was demonstrated for the detection of small variations in the bulk refractive index with solutions comprised of different ratios of de-ionized water and glycerol. A limit of detection in the range of 10−6 RIU was achieved. In addition, preliminary bio-assays obtained by combining this configuration with a functionalization are presented and demonstrate the selectivity and the potential of this new plasmonic configuration for biosensing applications. This thesis work paves the way for the use of the optical switch configuration as a biosensor aligned with low-cost manufacturing and relevant for diagnosing in point-of-care sites.

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