Due to their compact size, sensitivity, and ability to be multiplexed, intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometers (IFPIs) are excellent candidates for almost any multi-point temperature or strain application, and it is well-known that using a single-mode lead-in fiber, a multi-mode fiber section as the Fabry-Perot cavity, and an additional single-mode fiber as the tail results in a structure that generates strong interference fringes while remaining robust. Though the basic principles behind these sensors are understood, to the best of the author's knowledge there hasn't been a thorough investigation into the design and fabrication of a chain of multiplexed IFPI sensors for industrial use in an environment where serious issues associated with the size of the test coupon, sensor placement, and mechanical reinforcement of the fiber could arise. This thesis details the preparation and results of this investigation. It turns out that fabricating a sensor chain with appropriate sensor spacing and excellent temperature response characteristics proved a significant challenge, and issues addressed include inter-sensor interference, high-temperature mechanical reinforcement for bare fiber sections, and high bending losses. After overcoming these problems, a final sensor chain was fabricated and characterized. This chain was then subjected to a battery of tests at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), where four multiplexed sensors were installed on a 2â x2â coupon in a simulated gas turbine environment. Final results are presented and analyzed. The work that went into developing this chain lays the foundation for future efforts in developing quasi-distributed temperature sensors by identifying potential obstacles and fundamental limitations for certain approaches. / Master of Science

A technology for fabricating fiber optic pressure sensors is described. This technology is based on intermediate-layer bonding of a fused silica ferrule to a patterned, micro-machined fused silica diaphragm, providing low temperature fabrication of optical pressure sensor heads that can operate at high temperature. Fused silica ferrules and fused silica diaphragms are chosen to reduce the temperature dependence. The fused silica diaphragms have been micro-machined using wet chemical etching in order to form extrinsic Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric cavities. Sol-gel is used as an intermediate-layer for both fiber-ferrule bonding and ferrule-diaphragm bonding at relatively low temperature (250 °C). The pressure sensors fabricated in the manner can operate at temperatures as high as 600 °C. The self-calibrated interferometric-intensity-based (SCIIB) technology, which combines fiber interferometry and intensity-based sensing method into a single sensor system, is used to test and monitor the pressure sensor signal. The light returned from the FP cavity is split into two channels. One channel with longer coherence length can test the effective interference generated by the FP cavity, while the other channel with shorter coherence length can get signal proportional only to the source power, fiber attenuation, and other optical losses. The ratio of the signals from the two channels can compensate for all unwanted factors, including source power variations and fiber bending losses. [11] / Master of Science

The FP interferometer was found to be feasible for detecting changes in machining forces. The fiber optic sensor was able to detect increases in strain corresponding to force increases detected by a dynamometer. The FP interferometer system must progress in several ways. A better data acquisition and data analysis system must be developed. A robust sensor must be made to withstand the harsh environment of machining. Also a method for eliminating the affects of thermal strain must be created. Finally, the placement of the FP sensor must also be determined. The FP has the potential to effectively monitor machining forces without affecting the rigidity of a turning operation setup. / Master of Science

Interferometric optical fiber sensors have proved many orders of magnitude more sensitive than their electrical counterparts, but they suffer from limitations in signal demodulation caused by phase ambiguity and complex fringe counting when the output phase difference exceeds one fringe period. Various signal demodulation methods have been developed to overcome some of the these drawbacks with limited success. This thesis proposes a new measurement system for the extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) sensor. Using a wavelength modulated source and a novel extended-gap EFPI, some of the limitations of interferometric signal demodulation are overcome. By scanning the output wavelength of a multilongitudinal mode laser diode through current modulation, the EFPI sensor signal is scanned through multiple fringes. Gap movement is then unambiguously determined by monitoring the phase of the multiple fringe pattern. / Master of Science

An adaptation of an extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) strain sensor is described, which permits the state of cure of an epoxy matrix to be monitored, when the sensor is embedded in a polymeric matrix composite. By using a glass rod with a retroreflecting end for the target fiber in the EFPI sensor, the intensity of the light reflected depends on the refractive index of the host matrix, if a low coherence source is used. As the epoxy cross-links during cure, the refractive index of the epoxy will increase to a value exceeding that of the target fiber. The resulting increased loss in the fiber can be detected at the sensor output and correlated to the state of cure of the epoxy. After cure, the sensor may be operated as a conventional extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric strain sensor if a coherent source is used. Using the modified extrinsic Fabry-Perot sensor, we monitor the cure of Devcon® 5-Minute® Epoxy, and show that it cures in approximately 60 minutes. / Master of Science

Linewidth is a measure of the frequency stability of any kind of oscillator, and it is a defining characteristic of coherent lasers. Narrow linewidth laser technology, particularly in the field of fiber-based infrared lasers, has progressed to the point where highly stable sources are commercially available with linewidths on the order of 1-100 kHz. In order to achieve a higher level of stability, the laser must be augmented by an external frequency stabilization system. This paper presents the design and operation of a frequency locking system for infrared fiber lasers. Using the Pound-Drever-Hall technique, the system significantly reduces the linewidth of an input laser with an un-stabilized linewidth of 2 kHz. It uses a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity, which is mechanically and thermally isolated, as a frequency reference to measure the time-varying frequency of the input laser. An electronic feedback loop works to correct the frequency error and maintain constant optical power. Testing has proven the Pound-Drever-Hall system to be highly stable and capable of operating continuously for several seconds at a time. / Master of Science

Dans cette thèse, nous initions la démonstration, à échelle réduite, de la faisabilité du photodétachement presque total, par laser, d’un jet d'ions négatifs d'hydrogène en cavité optique Fabry-Perot pour les futurs injecteurs de neutres destinés au chauffage des plasmas des réacteurs de fusion nucléaire.Nous élaborons une nouvelle méthode de mesure d’une section efficace de photodétachement, dont la connaissance à la longueur d’onde d’excitation est requise pour le dimensionnement de la cavité Fabry-Perot, basée sur l’observation de la saturation en régime d’éclairement impulsionnel. Le calcul analytique de l’accroissement du signal de détachement produit lors de l’éclairement d’un jet d’ions par une impulsion laser supposée gaussienne, fait apparaître une contrainte mathématique sur le flux requis pour transiter vers le régime saturé. Cette contrainte est une caractéristique de la transition vers la saturation pour toutes les expériences réalisées en faisceau gaussien et pour tous les processus d’interaction lumière-matière linéaires. Avec cette méthode, nous déduisons une section efficace de photodétachement de H- à 1064 nm – longueur d’onde sélectionnée pour les futurs injecteurs de neutres – en léger désaccord avec les prédictions théoriques.Pour réduire les exigences technologiques sur la cavité et le laser, nous étudions les résonances de Landau qui apparaissent dans le spectre de photodétachement en champ magnétique. S’asservir sur l’une de ces résonances permettrait d’augmenter la probabilité de photodétachement à un flux donné.Par ailleurs, nous présentons nos mesures des affinités électroniques du phosphore, du sélénium et de l’étain, réalisées avec le microscope de photodétachement. L'expérience de microscopie de photodétachement du phosphore est la première où l’atome neutre est laissé dans un terme excité. / In this thesis, we initiate the demonstration, at a reduced scale, of the feasibility of the almost-complete laser photodetachment of negative hydrogen ion beams in a Fabry-Perot optical cavity for future neutral beam injectors for the heating of fusion power plants plasmas.We develop a new method to measure a photodetachement cross section, the knowledge of which at the exciting wavelength is needed to scale the Fabry-Perot cavity, based on the observation of the saturation in a pulsed lighting regime. The analytical calculus of the detachment signal growth produced while illuminating a negative ion beam with a Gaussian laser pulse bring out a mathematical constraint on the required flux to pass through the saturated regime. This constraint is the signature of the transition toward the saturation for all experiment carried out in Gaussian beam and for all linear light-matter interaction processes. With this method, we measure the photodetachement cross section of H- at 1064 nm – selected wavelength for future neutral beam injectors – in slight disagreement with theoretical predictions.To reduce the technological requirement on the Fabry-Perot cavity and the laser, we study Landau resonances which appear in the photodetachement spectrum. Locking the laser on one of these resonances would allow increasing the photodetachment probability at a given flux.We also present our phosphorus, selenium and tin electron affinity measurements carried out with the photodetachment microscope. The photodetachment microscopy experiment of phosphorus is the first one where the neutral atom is left in an excited term.

L’imagerie hyperspectrale, qui consiste à acquérir l'image d'une scène dans un grand nombre de bandes spectrales, permet de détecter des cibles là où l'imagerie couleur classique ne permettrait pas de conclure. Les imageurs hyperspectraux à acquisition séquentielle sont inadaptés aux applications de détection en temps réel. Dans cette thèse, nous proposons d’utiliser un imageur multispectral snapshot, capable d’acquérir simultanément un nombre réduit de bandes spectrales sur un unique détecteur matriciel. Le capteur offrant un nombre de pixels limité, il est nécessaire de réaliser un compromis en choisissant soigneusement le nombre et les profils spectraux des filtres de l'imageur afin d’optimiser la performance de détection. Dans cet objectif, nous avons développé une méthode de sélection de bandes qui peut être utilisée dans la conception d’imageurs multispectraux basés sur une matrice de filtres fixes ou accordables. Nous montrons, à partir d'images hyperspectrales issues de différentes campagnes de mesure, que la sélection des bandes spectrales à acquérir peut conduire à des imageurs multispectraux capables de détecter des cibles ou des anomalies avec une efficacité de détection proche de celle obtenue avec une résolution hyperspectrale. Nous développons conjointement un démonstrateur constitué d'une matrice de 4 filtres de Fabry-Perot accordables électroniquement en vue de son implantation sur un imageur multispectral snapshot agile. Ces filtres sont développés en technologie MOEMS (microsystèmes opto-électro-mécaniques) en partenariat avec l'Institut d'Electronique Fondamentale. Nous présentons le dimensionnement optique du dispositif ainsi qu'une étude de tolérancement qui a permis de valider sa faisabilité. / Hyperspectral imaging, which consists in acquiring the image of a scene in a large number of spectral bands, can be used to detect targets that are not visible using conventional color imaging. Hyperspectral imagers based on sequential acquisition are unsuitable for real-time detection applications. In this thesis, we propose to use a snapshot multispectral imager able to acquire simultaneously a small number of spectral bands on a single image sensor. As the sensor offers a limited number of pixels, it is necessary to achieve a trade-off by carefully choosing the number and the spectral profiles of the imager’s filters in order to optimize the detection performance. For this purpose, we developed a band selection method that can be used to design multispectral imagers based on arrays of fixed or tunable filters. We use real hyperspectral images to show that the selection of spectral bands can lead to multispectral imagers able to compete against hyperspectral imagers for target detection and anomaly detection applications while allowing snapshot acquisition and real-time detection. We jointly develop an adaptive snapshot multispectral imager based on an array of 4 electronically tunable Fabry-Perot filters. The filters are developed in MOEMS technology (Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems) in partnership with the Institut d'Electronique Fondamentale. We present the optical design of the device and a study of tolerancing which has validated its feasibility.

La plasmonique est un domaine de la nano-photonique qui étudie le comportement de la lumière à des échelles sub-longueurs d'ondes en présence de métaux. Les plasmons polaritons de surface (SPPs) sont des modes électromagnétiques qui se propagent à l'interface entre un diélectrique et un métal. Les SPPs trouvent des applications dans plusieurs domaines comme la communication et le traitement tout-optique du signal, la spectroscopie, la détection en biologie et en chimie. De nombreux composants plasmoniques (modulateurs, coupleurs, détecteurs ...) ont été démontrés ces dernières années. Cependant, leur l'intégration reste conditionnée par l'absence d'un générateur compact (pompage électrique, dimensions réduites) et par les grandes pertes ohmiques. Les techniques standards de génération de SPs nécessitent l'alignement d'un laser externe sur un prisme ou un réseau de diffraction afin d'adapter le vecteur d'onde incident avec celui du plasmon. L'approche que nous avons choisie est basée sur l'utilisation de lasers à semiconducteur ayant une polarisation transverse magnétique (TM) comme source d'excitation et de gain. Notre approche, permet d'obtenir des dispositifs compacts et facilement intégrables sur puce. Pendant ma thèse j'ai étudié expérimentalement et numériquement les performances d'un laser en fonction rapprochement du contact métallique à sa région active. La proximité du gain optique au métal est nécessaire pour la réalisation de dispositifs plasmoniques actifs. J'ai démontré la génération et l'amplification des plasmons de surface dans la bande télécom (λ=1.3µm), avec des dispositifs compacts, à base de semiconducteurs, fonctionnant par injection électrique et à température ambiante. Notamment, j'ai réalisé une architecture élégante, avec coupleur intégré, pour la génération de SPPs accessibles sur le sommet du dispositif. Un dispositif avec gaine superficielle ultrafine a permis de démontrer un mode hybride plasmonique avec une fraction consistante de champ électrique à l'interface métal/semiconducteur. Finalement, j'ai montrée que la structuration nanométrique du contact métallique réduit les pertes du mode laser. Les résultats sont renforcés par une nouvelle technique de imagerie de champ proche (SNOM) qui a permis de mesurer les SPPs à l'interface métal/or et à l'interface métal/ semiconducteur. Grâce aux mesures SNOM, il a aussi été possible de démontrer sans aucune ambiguïté l'effet de la structuration du métal sur le mode optique. / The field of plasmonics is experiencing a rapid development, due to the interest in studying the behavior of light at the nanometer scale. Key ingredients of plasmonics are the surface plasmons (SPs), electromagnetic modes localized at the interface between a metal and a dielectric. SPs rely on the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and conduction electrons at metallic interfaces or in "small" metallic nanostructures. The recent intense activity on plasmonics has been also enabled by state-of-the-art nano fabrication techniques and by high-sensitivity optical characterization techniques. These tools pave the way to promising applications (integration in electronics, chemical and biological detection...), which exploit the SP peculiarity of confining optical fields over sub-wavelength mode volumes. The number of publications concerning plasmonics has been continuously increasing over the last twenty years giving rise to a dynamic research context. Several plasmonic devices have been demonstrated during the last years (modulators, couplers, detectors ...). However their integration is limited by the absence of a compact generator (electrical pumping, small dimensions) and by the huge ohmic losses. Standard techniques for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) generation need an external alignment with a laser source on a prism or on a grating. Our approach is based on semiconductor lasers sources with a transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. Therefore, it is possible to obtain compact semiconductor devices suitable for the on chip integration. During my thesis I studied experimentally and numerically the performance of a diode laser as a function of the metal distance from its active region. The proximity of the gain to the metal is necessary to realize active plasmonic devices. I demonstrated the generation and the amplification of SPP in the telecom range (λ=1.3µm) with compact semiconductor based devices, operating at room temperature and by electrical injection. I realized an elegant architecture with an integrated coupler grating for the SPP generation. The SPPs are directly accessible at the device surface. An ultra-thin cladding device allowed the demonstration of a hybrid plasmonic laser with a consistent fraction of electric field at the metal/semiconductor interface. Finally I demonstrated that the metal patterning allows a loss reduction, decreasing the laser threshold. The results are strengthened by a new near-field technique (NSOM) which permitted to measure the SPPs at the metal/air interface and at the metal/semiconductor interface. Thanks to the NSOM we showed unambiguously the effect of the metal patterning on the optical mode.

Realising Si-based electrically driven light emitters in a process technology compatible with mainstream microelectronics CMOS technology is key requirement for the implementation of low-cost Si-based optoelectronics and thus one of the big challenges of semiconductor technology. This work has focused on the development of microcavity enhanced silicon LEDs (MCLEDs), including their design, fabrication, and experimental as well as theoretical analysis. As a light emitting layer the abrupt pn-junction of a Si diode was used, which was fabricated by ion implantation of boron into n-type silicon. Such forward biased pn-junctions exhibit room-temperature EL at a wavelength of 1138 nm with a reasonably high power efficiency of 0.1%. Two MCLEDs emitting light at the resonant wavelength about 1150 nm were demonstrated: a) 1-lambda MCLED with the resonator formed by 90 nm thin metallic CoSi2 mirror at the bottom and semitransparent distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) on the top; b) 5.5-lambda MCLED with the resonator formed by high reflecting DBR at the bottom and semitransparent top DBR. Using the appoach of the 5.5-lambda MCLED with two DBRs the extraction efficiency is enhanced by about 65% compared to the silicon bulk pn-junction diode.