Directional torsion and temperature discrimination based on a multicore fiber with a helical structure

• Main Authors: Zhang, Hailiang, Wu, Zhifang, Shum, Perry Ping, Shao, Xuguang, Wang, Ruoxu, Dinh, Xuan Quyen, Fu, Songnian, Tong, Weijun, Tang, Ming
• Other Authors: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Microstructured Fibers; Fiber Optics Sensors; DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/83142; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/47572
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a directional torsion sensor based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer formed in a multicore fiber (MCF) with a ~570-μm-long helical structure (HS). The HS was fabricated into the MCF by simply pre-twisting and then heating with a CO2 laser splicing system. This device shows the capability of directional torsion measurement from −17.094 rad/m to 15.669 rad/m with the sensitivity of ~0.118 nm/(rad/m). Moreover, since the multiple interferences respond differently to torsion and temperature simultaneously, the temperature cross-sensitivity of the proposed sensor can be eliminated effectively. Besides, the sensor owns other merits such as easy fabrication and good mechanical robustness.