Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-87). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Oulu, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-171). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-79). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-63). Also available via the Internet.

M.Ing. / Over the past few years, fibre Bragg gratings have emerged as very important components in the photonics environment. Their discovery has greatly revolutionised the design of many complex devices, introducing simplicity and cost effectiveness. Extensive research has been invested into identifying possible areas of application for fibre Bragg gratings. This has resulted in fibre Bragg gratings finding a comfortable niche in the fields of sensors and optical communication systems. This study focuses on the possible application of fibre Bragg gratings in wireless local area networks. Wireless local area networks are rapidly becoming a market of great potential for the investor. To sustain the impressive image of this market, research initiatives should strive to secure cost-effective solutions for the implementation of wireless local area networks. With reduced costs on wireless local area network products, the demand for these products is expected to escalate. Research conducted at the COBRA Institute, has produced a novel concept of optically distributing data signals across a network, and later transmitting them at radio frequencies between antenna sites. This concept, earmarked for wireless local area networks, uses a fast tuneable laser source, graded index polymer optical fibre and a periodic optical filter to generate the radio frequency microwave signals. The periodic filter in this network system serves to up-convert the frequency of the signal to radio-frequency levels. The filter is an important component of the network and it is situated at the antenna site. For wireless local area networks that require broad coverage, the number of periodic optical filters deployed for the system can be high. This can have a negative impact on the cost of the network. This research proposes a low-cost Fabry-Perot filter designed from fibre Bragg gratings, to replace the optical periodic filter discussed in the network mentioned above. The work presented in this study consolidates the design theories of Fabry-Perot filters and fibre Bragg gratings. The grating-based Fabry-Perot filter is modelled using coupled-mode theory, simulated using the transfer matrix method and fabricated via the strain controlled phase mask technique. The figures of merit that describe the spectral performance of the Fabry-Perot filter (i.e. free spectral range, minimum resolvable bandwidth, finesse and contrast factor) are compared to calculations associated with classical designs. The final part of this study presents experimental measurements of the generated radio frequency microwave signal. The purpose of these measurements is firstly to demonstrate the feasibility of the entire concept of generating radio frequency microwave signals using optical frequency multiplication. The second goal for the measurements is to benchmark the performance of the new grating-based Fabry-Perot filter against expected results approximated through calculations. Both goals were achieved with encouraging observations.

No description available.

No description available.

The motivation of this research is to meet the growing demand for the measurand high-resolution, high-spatial resolution, attenuation insensitive and low-cost quasi-distributed temperature and strain sensors that can reliably work under harsh environment or in extended structures. There are two main drives for distributed fiber sensor research. The first is to lower cost-per-sensor so that the fiber sensors may become price-competitive against electrical sensors in order to gain widespread acceptance. The second is to obtain spatial distribution of the measurand. This dissertation presents detailed research on the design, modeling, analysis, system implementation, sensor fabrication, performance evaluation, sensor field test and noise analysis of a quasi-distributed intrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (IFPI) fiber sensor suitable for temperature and strain measurement. For the first time to our knowledge, an IFPI sensor using a different type of fiber spliced in between two single-mode fibers is proposed and tested. The proposed sensor has high measurement accuracy, excellent repeatability, a large working range and a low insertion-loss. It requests no annealing after the sensor is made, and the sensor is calibration-free. The sensor fabrication is low-cost and has a high yield rate. The goal for this research is to bring this sensor to a level where it will become commercially viable for quasi-distributed sensing applications. / Ph. D.

This dissertation proposes a miniaturized optical fiber based sensor system for the measurement of 3-dimensional vector magnetic fields. The operation of the sensor system is based on the detection of magnetostrictive dimensional changes in the sensor gage using a modified extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer configuration. Because of the magnetostrictive reflector the gap length depends on the magnetic fields applied to the sensor. Since the diameter of the magnetostrictive sensor gage is 125 micrometer which is the same as that of the input/output fiber, the sensor is simply constructed by inserting the sensor gage and the input/output fiber into a small glass tube. The glass tube serves as both an aligner for the sensor gage and input/out fiber, and a passive temperature compensator. In addition, it also enhances the mechanical strength and compactness of the sensor. This sensor design shows 98 percent suppression of the thermally induced sensor output changes. The linear output of the sensor system is enhanced by transverse field annealing which increases magnetostrictive induction in the ferromagnetic sensor gage material and controls the sensor gage geometry. A 5-times increase in sensor sensitivity is obtained with the transverse field annealing and the use of a new magnetostrictive material. A modified sensor gage endface demonstrates 92 percent of fringe visibility, which further improves the performance of the interferometer. The signal fading in the interferometric sensors at the peak or bottom of a fringe is reduced by using a quadrature signal demodulation method. The system has been shown to have a resolution better than 100 nT over a measurement range from 100 to 40,000 nT. This research is supported financially by the Phillips Laboratory of the U.S. Air Force. / Ph. D.

In this report, detailed and systematic theoretical and experimental study of low-finesse extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric (EFPI) fiber optic sensors together with their signal processing methods for white-light systems are presented. The work aims to provide a better understanding of the operational principle of EFPI fiber optic sensors, and is useful and important in the design, optimization, fabrication and application of single mode fiber(SMF) EFPI (SMF-EFPI) and multimode fiber (MMF) EFPI (MMF-EFPI) sensor systems. The cases for SMF-EFPI and MMF-EFPI sensors are separately considered. In the analysis of SMF-EFPI sensors, the light transmitted in the fiber is approximated by a Gaussian beam and the obtained spectral transfer function of the sensors includes an extra phase shift due to the light coupling in the fiber end-face. This extra phase shift has not been addressed by previous researchers and is of great importance for high accuracy and high resolution signal processing of white-light SMF-EFPI systems. Fringe visibility degradation due to gap-length increase and sensor imperfections is studied. The results indicate that the fringe visibility of a SMF-EFPI sensor is relatively insensitive to the gap-length change and sensor imperfections. Based on the spectral fringe pattern predicated by the theory of SMF-EFPI sensors, a novel curve fitting signal processing method (Type 1 curve-fitting method) is presented for white-light SMF-EFPI sensor systems. Other spectral domain signal processing methods including the wavelength-tracking, the Type 2-3 curve fitting, Fourier transform, and two-point interrogation methods are reviewed and systematically analyzed. Experiments were carried out to compare the performances of these signal processing methods. The results have shown that the Type 1 curve fitting method achieves high accuracy, high resolution, large dynamic range, and the capability of absolute measurement at the same time, while others either have less resolution, or are not capable of absolute measurement. Very different from SMF-EFPI sensors, MMF-EFPI sensors with high fringe visibility usually are more difficult to obtain in practice because the fringe visibility of a MMF-EFPI sensor is much more sensitive to gap-length change and sensor head imperfections. %Previously, only geometric-optics are available to analyze MMF-EFPI sensors which approximate the light in MMF as rays propagating in different directions. Geometric-optics theory has fundenmental limitations because it is approximate and only valid for limited conditions. Moreover, geometric-optics theory is not capable of poviding the exact fringe pattern which is important in the signal processing of white light MMF-EFPI sensor systems. In this report, Previous mathematical models for MMF-EFPI sensors are all based on geometric optics; therefore their applications have many limitations. In this report, a modal theory is developed that can be used in any situations and is more accurate. The mathematical description of the spectral fringes of MMF-EFPI sensors is obtained by the modal theory. Effect on the fringe visibility of system parameters, including the sensor head structure, the fiber parameters, and the mode power distribution in the MMF of the MMF-EFPI sensors, is analyzed. Experiments were carried out to validate the theory. Fundamental mechanism that causes the degradation of the fringe visibility in MMF-EFPI sensors are revealed. It is shown that, in some situations at which the fringe visibility is important and difficult to achieve, a simple method of launching the light into the MMF-EFPI sensor system from the output of a SMF could be used to improve the fringe visibility and to ease the fabrication difficulties of MMF-EFPI sensors. Signal processing methods that are well-understood in white-light SMF-EFPI sensor systems may exhibit new aspects when they are applied to white-light MMF-EFPI sensor systems. This report reveals that the variations of mode power distribution (MPD) in the MMF could cause phase variations of the spectral fringes from a MMF-EFPI sensor and introduce measurement errors for a signal processing method in which the phase information is used. This MPD effect on the wavelength-tracking method in white-light MMF-EFPI sensors is theoretically analyzed. The fringe phases changes caused by MPD variations were experimentally observed and thus the MFD effect is validated. / Ph. D.