Fixing methods for the use of optical fibers  in interferometric arrangements

Jakub Cubik; Stanislav Kepak; Marcel Fajkus; Ondrej Zboril; Jan Nedoma; Alan Davidson; Vladimir Vasinek

doi:10.1117/12.2257060

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23 December 2016 Fixing methods for the use of optical fibers in interferometric arrangements

Jakub Cubik, Stanislav Kepak, Marcel Fajkus, Ondrej Zboril, Jan Nedoma, Alan Davidson, Vladimir Vasinek

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Proceedings Volume 10142, 20th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics; 101421A (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2257060
Event: 20th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics, 2016, Jasna, Slovakia

Abstract

Today interferometric sensors are among the most accurate available thanks to their inherent high sensitivity. These highly versatile sensors may be used to measure phenomena such as temperature, strain, fluid level, flow, vibration, stress, etc. This article concentrates on the composition of fiber-optic interferometers, in particular the Mach-Zehnder type. The Mach-Zehnder type is composed of two arms, one for measurement and a second serving as a reference. When light enters the interferometer, ideally the phase of the light is shifted only in the measurement arm while the phase in the second arm remains unchanged. Interference occurs when the light recombining at the output and the resulting light intensity is proportional to the measurand. A major issue in the application of fiber based sensors is laying and fixing the fibers effectively in real life environments. Different approaches are necessary for both arms. The reference arm should as far as possible be isolated from the measurand. In this paper, various isolating materials are considered, however there are almost unlimited materials that may be used for isolation purposes. Conventional construction methods and materials were used such as aluminum tubing, flexible PVC tubing, double sided tape, steel clinches, superglue, PVC strips and PVC strips filled by silicon.

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Jakub Cubik, Stanislav Kepak, Marcel Fajkus, Ondrej Zboril, Jan Nedoma, Alan Davidson, and Vladimir Vasinek "Fixing methods for the use of optical fibers in interferometric arrangements", Proc. SPIE 10142, 20th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics, 101421A (23 December 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2257060

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