Laser induced damage is of interest in studying the transmission of large amounts of optical energy through step-index, large core multimode fibers. Optical fibers often have to be routed around objects when laser light is being transmitted between two locations which require the fiber to bend into a curve. Depending on how tight the bend is, this can result in transmission losses or even catastrophic damage when the energy density of the laser pulse exceeds the damage threshold of silica glass. The purpose of this study is to: Establish a minimum bend radius that would allow high energy (GW/cm2 ) to be transmitted through multimode fiber. Evaluate unique fiber routing configurations including loops, 180 bends, and S-bends. Develop optical modeling simulations backed with experimental data that can serve to predict critical areas for future systems. Waveguide theory predicts that light traveling through a bend will form whispering-gallery modes that propagate through total internal reflection bounces along the inside of the outer edge of the bend. This is critical since in these locations the energy density of the light will increase significantly, raising the potential of laser damage, nonlinear effects, and transmission losses. This loss is especially problematic when two 90° bends going in opposite directions are in close proximity to each other, forming an ‘S-bend’. Light that is grouped along the outer edge going through the first bend will enter the second bend at a sharper angle which causes much high transmission losses and raises the possibility of failure. iv Models using R-Soft BeamProp and Zemax were developed to study transmission losses, investigate light interactions at critical areas, and predict under which conditions laser damage would occur. BeamProp presents a clearer view of the modal distribution of light within the core of the fiber and is used to analyze how a plane wave with a Gaussian intensity distribution excites the fiber modes. Zemax provides a tool to perform non-sequential ray tracing through the fiber cable and stray light analysis within the core and once the light exits the fiber. Intensity distributions of the cross sectional area of the fiber shows the whispering gallery modes forming as the light propagates around bends and disburses as it propagates afterwards. It was discovered using R-Soft that if the separation distance between bends in an S-bend is approximately 3 mm there exists a condition where maximum transmission occurs. For 365 µm diameter core fiber it was calculated that the difference in output power could be as high as 150%. This was initially completely unexpected; however ray tracing using Zemax was able to verify that this distance allows the light to transition so that it enters the 2nd bend at the optimal angle to enter the whispering gallery mode. Experiments were performed that validated the models’ predictions and images were captured clearly showing the spatial distribution shift of the light within the core of the fiber. Experiments were performed to verify light grouping together to form whispering gallery modes as predicted by Zemax. Microscope images were taken as a function of distance from various bends to observe the periodic nature in which the laser light fills up the fiber. Additionally, a configuration was setup to examine stimulated Brillioun scattering and determine the onset of laser damage in the fiber. Fibers were tested as a function of bend radius and number of shots v and recommendations for future systems were made. Lastly, mechanical failure tests were performed to determine the relationship between stress placed on the fiber through bending and fiber lifetime in a static environment. This allowed a minimum safe bend radius to be calculated for a 30 year lifetime that agreed with previous calculated values.

No description available.

No description available.

The identification and quantification of atoms, molecules, or ions concentrations in gaseous samples are in great demand for medical, environmental, industrial, law enforcement and national security applications. These applications require in situ, high-resolution, non-destructive, sensitive, miniature, inexpensive, rapid detection, remotely accessed, real time and continuously operating chemical sensing devices. The aim of this work is to design a miniature optical sensing device that is capable of detecting and measuring chemical species, compatible with being integrated into a large variety of monitoring systems, and durable enough to be used under extreme conditions. The miniature optical sensor has been realized by employing technologies from the optical communication industry and spectroscopic methods and techniques. Fused silica capillary tubing along with standard communication optical fibers have been utilized to make miniature gas sensor based on near-infrared spectroscopy for acetylene gas detection. In this work, the basic principles of infrared spectroscopy are reviewed. Also, the principle of operation, fabrication, testing, and analysis of the proposed sensor are discussed in details. / Master of Science

In a time when microorganisms are controlling the world, research in biology is more relevant than ever and this requires some powerful instruments. Optical tweezers use a focused laser beam to manipulate and probe objects on the nano- and microscale. This allows for the exploration of a miniature world at the border between biology, chemistry and physics. New methods for biophysical and physicochemical measurements are continuously being developed and at Umeå University there is a need for a new system that combines several of these methods. This would truly be the new Swiss army knife of biophysical and biomechanical research, extending their reach in the world of optical tweezing. My ambition with this project is to design and construct a robust system that incorporates optical trapping with high-precision force measurements and Raman spectroscopy, as well as introducing the possibility of generating multiple traps by using a spatial light modulator (SLM). The proposed design incorporates four different lasers and a novel combination of signal detection techniques. To allow for precise control of the systems components and laser beams, I designed and constructed motorized opto-mechanical components. These are controlled by an in-house developed software that handles data processing and signal analysis, while also providing a user interface for the system. The components include, motorized beam blockers and optical attenuators, which were developed using commonly available 3D printing techniques and electronic controllers. By designing the system from scratch, I could eliminate the known weaknesses of conventional systems and allow for a modular design where components can be added easily. The system is divided into two parts, a laser breadboard and a main breadboard. The former contains all the equipment needed to generate and control the laser beams, which are then coupled through optical fibers to the latter. This contains the components needed to move the optical trap inside the sample chamber, while performing measurements and providing user feedback. Construction and testing was done for one sub-system at a time, while the lack of time required a postponement for the implementation of Raman and SLM. The system performance was verified through Allan variance stability tests and the results were compared with other optical tweezers setups. The results show that the system follows the thermal limit for averaging times (τ) up to ~1 s when disturbances had been eliminated, which is similar to other systems. However, we could also show a decrease in variance all the way to τ = 2000 s, which is exceptionally good and not found in conventional systems. The force-resolution was determined to be on the order of femtonewtons, which is also exceptionally good. Thus, I conclude that this optical tweezers setup could lie as a solid foundation for future development and research in biological science at Umeå University for years to come.

The master theses deals with a detailed analysis of optical fiber sensors. Specifically, there are discussed optical fibers, various types of sensors and realization optical fiber senzor and senzor system that has been optimized and processed data in real time. In master theses also describes the LabView programming enviroment and uses components, including the entire sensor systém of a sensors system that sends measured data

Le cadre général dans lequel s’insère ce travail de thèse est celui de l’étude de la diffusion Brillouin dans une nouvelle génération de fibres optiques à cristaux photoniques (PCFs). Ces fibres, qui présentent un arrangement périodique de micro-canaux d’air parallèles le long de la fibre, possèdent en effet des propriétés optiques et acoustiques remarquables et inédites par rapport aux fibres conventionnelles. De façon plus précise, nous montrons dans ce travail, par le biais de simulations numériques et de données expérimentales, que les fibres à cristaux photoniques offrent la possibilité de supprimer ou, à contrario, augmenter les interactions entre les photons et les phonons. Dans une première partie, nous présentons une méthode de cartographie des fluctuations longitudinales de la microstructure des fibres PCFs à l’aide d’un capteur distribué basé sur une méthode innovante d’écho Brillouin. Cette méthode, très sensible et à haute résolution, est directement intéressante pour caractériser et améliorer l’uniformité des PCFs lors de leur fabrication et également pour la détection des différentes contraintes de température et étirement induites le long des fibres. Sur le plan fondamental, notre système de mesure distribuée à haute résolution nous a également permis d’observer, pour la première fois à notre connaissance, le temps de vie des ondes acoustiques dans les fibres à cristaux photoniques et les fibres standard. Par ailleurs, sur le plan technique, nous avons développé une architecture simplifiée de capteur distribué combinant la technique des échos Brillouin et celle de la modulation différentielle par déplacement de phase avec un seul modulateur d’intensité. Nos résultats montrent une résolution centimétrique dans la zone de soudure entre deux fibres optiques à l’aide d’une impulsion de phase de 500 ps. Nous démontrons dans une deuxième partie la suppression directe et passive de la rétrodiffusion Brillouin stimulée dans une fibre optique micro structurée en faisant varier périodiquement le diamètre de la microstructure. Une augmentation de 4 dB du seuil de puissance Brillouin a été obtenue avec une variation de seulement 7% sur une période de 30m. Ce résultat est très intéressant car la diffusion Brillouin est un facteur limitant dans les systèmes de télécommunications par fibre optique et les lasers à fibre. La troisième et dernière partie est consacrée à l’étude numérique et expérimentale de la diffusion Brillouin en avant dans les fibres à cristaux photoniques. En plus de la suppression de la plupart des modes acoustiques transverses, nous montrons que cette diffusion Brillouin est fortement augmentée pour certains modes acoustiques à haute fréquence qui sont piégés au cœur de la microstructure. Nous avons également étudié une fibre à structure multi-échelle qui révèle l’excitation sélective de plusieurs phonons acoustiques à des fréquences allant jusqu’a 2GHz. Ces mesures ont étés confirmées par des simulations numériques basées sur une méthode vectorielle aux éléments finis. L’impact des irrégularités de la microstructure a aussi été mis en évidence.Mots clés : optique non linéaire, diffusion Brillouin, fibres optiques microstructurées, seuil Brillouin, capteurs Brillouin distribués. / Brillouin scattering is a fundamental nonlinear opto-acoustic interaction present in optical fibers with important implications in fields ranging from modern telecommunication networks to smart optical fiber sensors. This thesis is aimed at providing a comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigation of both forward and backward Brillouin scattering in next generation photonic crystal fibers in view of potential applications to above mentioned fields. We show in particular that these micro-structured optical fibers have the remarkable ability to either suppress or enhance photon-phonon interactions compared to what is commonly observed in conventional fibers. Firstly, this thesis provides a complete experimental characterization of several photonic crystal fibers using a novel highly-resolved distributed sensing technique based on Brillouin echoes. We perform distributed measurements that show both short-scale and long-scale longitudinal fluctuations of the periodic wavelength-scale air-hole microstructure along the fibers. Our mapping technique is very sensitive to structural irregularities and thus interesting for fiber manufacturers to characterize and improve the fiber uniformity during the drawing process. With this technique, we also report the first experimental observationof the acoustic decay time and the Brillouin linewidth broadening in both standard and photonic crystal fibers. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrate a simplified architecture of our Brillouin echoes-based distributed optical fiber sensor with centimeter spatial resolution. It is based on differential phase-shift keying technique using a single Mach-Zehnder modulator to generate a pump pulse and a _-phase-shifted pulse with an easy and accurate adjustment of delay. These sensing techniques are also applied to distributed strain measurement. Another aspect of this thesis is the investigation of a novel method for suppressing stimulated Brillouin scattering that is detrimental to optical fiber transmissions and fiber lasers. We experimentally study several fibers and a demonstrate 4 dB increase of the Brillouin threshold in a photonic crystal fiber by varying periodically the core diameter by only7%. The efficiency of this passive technique is verified by use of our distributed sensing technique where the oscillating Brillouin frequency shift is clearly observed.Lastly, we present experimental and numerical results demonstrating the simultaneous vi Abstract frequency-selective excitation of several guided acoustic Brillouin modes in a photonic crystal fiber with a multi-scale structure design. These guided acoustic modes are identified by using a full vector finite-element model to result from elastic radial vibrations confined by the air-silica microstructure. We further show the strong impact of structural irregularities of the fiber on the frequency and modal shape of these acoustic resonances

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is extensively used in a broad range of industrial and medical applications, such as aseptic processing of food and pharmaceuticals, disinfection, water treatment plants, and decontamination of industrial effluents. H2O2 is believed to be responsible for chemical degradation of polymer membranes in Polymer-Electrolyte-Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Therefore, a versatile H2O2 sensor that functions in different environments with different conditions is of practical importance in various fields. This dissertation presents the fabrication of a fiber-optic H2O2 sensing probe (optrode) and its H2O2 sensing behavior in different conditions. An H2O2 optrode is fabricated using chemical deposition of Prussian blue (PB) onto the tip of a multimode optical fiber. Sensing tests are performed in aqueous solutions at a constant pH and different concentrations of H2O2. Sensing features of the optrode (i.e. repeatability, durability, and reproducibility) are assessed by performing multiple sensing tests with several optrodes. The results show the prepared optrode is able to detect concentrations of H2O2 in aqueous solutions at a constant pH of 4 and the optrode features a repeatable and durable response at this condition. The functionality of optrodes at different pH values is further investigated by performing additional sensing experiments. These experiments are carried out in aqueous solutions with different concentrations of H2O2 at different pH values (i.e. pH 2-7). The sensor detects the presence of H2O2 at a range of pH values. Sensing behavior of optrodes toward detection and measurement of H2O2 concentrations is studied at the pH value corresponding to an operating PEM fuel cell (i.e. pH 2). The optrode is able to detect concentrations of H2O2 at this condition with a repeatable and durable response. The stability of PB films, prepared through different conditions, is investigated to address the stability of optrodes at elevated temperatures. PB films are first deposited onto the glass slides through three different chemical processes, and then at different synthesis temperatures. The PB films are left in Phosphate-Buffer-Solutions (PBS) with pH 2 and at elevated temperatures for a day. Finally, PB films are characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyze their stability following PBS processing at operating temperatures and pH value corresponding to an operating PEM fuel cell (i.e. 80 °C and pH 2). The results of these experiments illustrate the PB films prepared through the single-source precursor (SSP) technique and at synthesis temperatures above 60 °C remain stable after the PBS processing. The proposed optrode shows reliable sensing behavior toward detection and measurement of H2O2 concentrations in aqueous solutions at different conditions. The prepared optrode has the potential for being developed and used in different industrial and medical fields, as well as an operating PEM fuel cell, to detect and measure H2O2 concentrations. / Graduate / 0794 / 0548 / 0485 / hakbarik@uvic.ca

Ce travail de thèse a porté sur le développement de réseaux de micro- et nanocapteurs opto-électrochimiques pour la bioanalyse. Ils répondent à la demande grandissante dans le domaine de la recherche et du diagnostic pour des outils permettant de réaliser de multiples analyses simultanément avec des échantillons de faibles volumes. Ces nouvelles biopuces de haute densité sont fabriquées à partir de faisceaux cohérents de fibres optiques. Une des deux faces est micro- ou nanostructurée par une attaque chimique, puis fonctionnalisée avec une sonde biologique. La première biopuce est un réseau de nanocapteurs fluorescents à ADN où les sondes ont été immobilisées grâce aux propriétés d’électropolymérisation du pyrrole. La lecture est réalisée à distance au travers du faisceau d’imagerie. En combinant la technique d’immobilisation avec des microleviers électrochimiques, plusieurs sondes différentes ont pu être adressées sur le même réseau nanostructuré. La seconde biopuce permet d’effectuer des immunodosages multiplexés en utilisant l’imagerie électrochimiluminescente résolue à l’échelle d’une microsphère. Le développement de cette technique permet de combiner les avantages de l’électrochimiluminescence avec des immunodosages multiplexés. L’élaboration de ces réseaux allie différentes techniques physico-chimiques, notamment électrochimiques, pour obtenir des biopuces avec un fort potentiel, grâce à une densité et un degré de multiplexage importants. / This work presents the development of optoelectrochemical micro- and nanosensor arrays for bioanalytical applications. These platforms respond to the growing need in research and diagnostic for tools allowing multiple and simultaneous analysis in small-volume samples. These new high density biochips are made from coherent optical fiber bundles: one face is micro- or nanostructured by chemical etching and then functionnalized with biological probes. The first biochip is a fluorescent DNA nanosensor array where probes have been immobilized by electrodeposition of a polypyrrole thin film. The detection of the hybridization is remotely performed through the imaging fiber. Different probes were succesfully addressed onto the same nanostructured array thanks to electrochemical cantilevers. The second biochip allows multiplexed sandwich immunoassays using electrochimiluminescent imaging resolved at the single bead level. In particular, the development of this new readout mechanism allows extending electrochemiluminescent detection for multiplexed immunoassays. Design and implementations of both platforms take advantages of different physical and chemical techniques, especially electrochemical, to obtain biochips with a great potential through high density and high multiplexing level.

[pt] A contaminação do solo nos postos de serviço é um risco ambiental associado à atividade de distribuição de derivados de petróleo que precisa ser controlado. O aumento deste risco está diretamente ligado à idade dos tanques e tubulações e à baixa qualidade na operação dos postos. Tais problemas vêm sendo minimizados ao longo das duas ultimas décadas graças à utilização de equipamentos mais modernos e das crescentes exigências ambientais. Nesta tese foi desenvolvido e testado em laboratório um equipamento de controle ambiental, baseado em tecnologia de sensores a fibra óptica, para a detecção de vazamentos em tanques jaquetados (dupla parede). A detecção de vazamentos neste tipo de tanque tornou-se uma exigência dos órgãos de proteção ambiental. O uso de tanques jaquetados com sistema de detecção permite que seja evitado o contato dos fluidos combustíveis com o solo, pois, uma vez rompida a parede interna de aço carbono do tanque, o sistema acusa a presença de hidrocarbonetos no interstício do tanque. Outrossim, a discriminação do fluido quando ocorrido o vazamento é importante para que se possa detectar mais facilmente se o rompimento se deu na parede interna ou externa do tanque, possibilitando um rápido diagnóstico e a conseqüente tomada de medidas corretivas do problema. Com a evolução legislativa no campo ambiental e o foco do Poder Público na garantia de uma maior qualidade de vida, o País está passando por um momento de transição onde, em um curto espaço de tempo, quase que 70 por cento dos tanques em operação deverão ser substituídos. Dessa feita, o equipamento para monitoramento ambiental desenvolvido nesta tese visa também tornar economicamente possível a substituição do atual parque de tanques por novos, já com sensores ópticos incorporados. / [en] Soil contamination due to leakage of hydrocarbon fuels from tanks in service stations is an environmental risk associated with the distribution segment of the petroleum industry. Such risk is closely related to ageing tanks and piping systems, as well as to the lack of quality assurance practices in service stations. This problem is being reduced during the last two decades, mainly due to use of modern equipment that must adhere to more rigid environmental legislation. In this thesis, an optical fiber sensor, able to discriminate different liquids, has been developed as a part of a leakage detection system employed to monitor jacketed tanks used to store alcohol or hydrocarbon or fuels. Leakage detection in this type of storage tanks plays an important role to minimize problems due to soil contamination and is now required according to new environmental legislation. If fuel leaks through the carbon steel wall of jacketed tanks it will be contained, within an interstitial space, by the outer, fiber reinforced, polymeric wall of the tank. Presence of fluid in the interstitial space is monitored by the optical fiber sensor, which sends a warning to the service station operator, which immediately has to start maintenance procedures. The capability of discriminating different fuels will allow the operator to quickly identify from which tank compartment the leakage has originated, or, if water coming from the soil has been detected, that the outer wall of the tank has been damaged and needs to be repaired.