Sample records for microstructured optical fibres

  1. OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Spun microstructured optical fibresfor Faraday effect current sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chamorovsky, Yury K.; Starostin, Nikolay I.; Morshnev, Sergey K.; Gubin, Vladimir P.; Ryabko, Maksim V.; Sazonov, Aleksandr I.; Vorob'ev, Igor'L.

    2009-11-01

    We report a simple design of spun holey fibres and the first experimental study of the magneto-optical response of spun microstructured fibres with high built-in birefringence. Such fibres enable the Faraday-effect-induced phase shift to effectively accumulate in a magnetic field even at very small coiling diameters. For example, the magneto-optical sensitivity of a 5-mm-diameter fibre coil consisting of 100 turns is ~70% that of an ideal fibre, in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

  2. Simplifying the design of microstructured optical fibre pressure sensors.

    PubMed

    Osório, Jonas H; Chesini, Giancarlo; Serrão, Valdir A; Franco, Marcos A R; Cordeiro, Cristiano M B

    2017-06-07

    In this paper, we propose a way to simplify the design of microstructured optical fibres with high sensitivity to applied pressure. The use of a capillary fibre with an embedded core allows the exploration of the pressure-induced material birefringence due to the capillary wall displacements and the photoelastic effect. An analytical description of pressure-induced material birefringence is provided, and fibre modal characteristics are explored through numerical simulations. Moreover, a capillary fibre with an embedded core is fabricated and used to probe pressure variations. Even though the embedded-core fibre has a non-optimized structure, measurements showed a pressure sensitivity of (1.04 ± 0.01) nm/bar, which compares well with more complex, specially designed fibre geometries reported in the literature. These results demonstrate that this geometry enables a novel route towards the simplification of microstructured fibre-based pressure sensors.

  3. Microstructured-core optical fibre for evanescent sensing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cordeiro, Cristiano M. B.; Franco, Marcos A. R.; Chesini, Giancarlo; Barretto, Elaine C. S.; Lwin, Richard; Brito Cruz, C. H.; Large, Maryanne C. J.

    2006-12-01

    The development of microstructured fibres offers the prospect of improved fibre sensing for low refractive index materials such as liquids and gases. A number of approaches are possible. Here we present a new approach to evanescent field sensing, in which both core and cladding are microstructured. The fibre was fabricated and tested, and simulations and experimental results are shown in the visible region to demonstrate the utility of this approach for sensing.

  4. Laser recrystallization and inscription of compositional microstructures in crystalline SiGe-core fibres

    PubMed Central

    Coucheron, David A.; Fokine, Michael; Patil, Nilesh; Breiby, Dag Werner; Buset, Ole Tore; Healy, Noel; Peacock, Anna C.; Hawkins, Thomas; Jones, Max; Ballato, John; Gibson, Ursula J.

    2016-01-01

    Glass fibres with silicon cores have emerged as a versatile platform for all-optical processing, sensing and microscale optoelectronic devices. Using SiGe in the core extends the accessible wavelength range and potential optical functionality because the bandgap and optical properties can be tuned by changing the composition. However, silicon and germanium segregate unevenly during non-equilibrium solidification, presenting new fabrication challenges, and requiring detailed studies of the alloy crystallization dynamics in the fibre geometry. We report the fabrication of SiGe-core optical fibres, and the use of CO2 laser irradiation to heat the glass cladding and recrystallize the core, improving optical transmission. We observe the ramifications of the classic models of solidification at the microscale, and demonstrate suppression of constitutional undercooling at high solidification velocities. Tailoring the recrystallization conditions allows formation of long single crystals with uniform composition, as well as fabrication of compositional microstructures, such as gratings, within the fibre core. PMID:27775066

  5. Laser recrystallization and inscription of compositional microstructures in crystalline SiGe-core fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coucheron, David A.; Fokine, Michael; Patil, Nilesh; Breiby, Dag Werner; Buset, Ole Tore; Healy, Noel; Peacock, Anna C.; Hawkins, Thomas; Jones, Max; Ballato, John; Gibson, Ursula J.

    2016-10-01

    Glass fibres with silicon cores have emerged as a versatile platform for all-optical processing, sensing and microscale optoelectronic devices. Using SiGe in the core extends the accessible wavelength range and potential optical functionality because the bandgap and optical properties can be tuned by changing the composition. However, silicon and germanium segregate unevenly during non-equilibrium solidification, presenting new fabrication challenges, and requiring detailed studies of the alloy crystallization dynamics in the fibre geometry. We report the fabrication of SiGe-core optical fibres, and the use of CO2 laser irradiation to heat the glass cladding and recrystallize the core, improving optical transmission. We observe the ramifications of the classic models of solidification at the microscale, and demonstrate suppression of constitutional undercooling at high solidification velocities. Tailoring the recrystallization conditions allows formation of long single crystals with uniform composition, as well as fabrication of compositional microstructures, such as gratings, within the fibre core.

  6. Quantitative analysis of three-dimensional fibrillar collagen microstructure within the normal, aged and glaucomatous human optic nerve head

    PubMed Central

    Jones, H. J.; Girard, M. J.; White, N.; Fautsch, M. P.; Morgan, J. E.; Ethier, C. R.; Albon, J.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to quantify connective tissue fibre orientation and alignment in young, old and glaucomatous human optic nerve heads (ONH) to understand ONH microstructure and predisposition to glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Transverse (seven healthy, three glaucomatous) and longitudinal (14 healthy) human ONH cryosections were imaged by both second harmonic generation microscopy and small angle light scattering (SALS) in order to quantify preferred fibre orientation (PFO) and degree of fibre alignment (DOFA). DOFA was highest within the peripapillary sclera (ppsclera), with relatively low values in the lamina cribrosa (LC). Elderly ppsclera DOFA was higher than that in young ppsclera (p < 0.00007), and generally higher than in glaucoma ppsclera. In all LCs, a majority of fibres had preferential orientation horizontally across the nasal–temporal axis. In all glaucomatous LCs, PFO was significantly different from controls in a minimum of seven out of 12 LC regions (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher fibre alignment was observed in the glaucomatous inferior–temporal LC (p < 0.017). The differences between young and elderly ONH fibre alignment within regions suggest that age-related microstructural changes occur within the structure. The additional differences in fibre alignment observed within the glaucomatous LC may reflect an inherent susceptibility to glaucomatous optic neuropathy, or may be a consequence of ONH remodelling and/or collapse. PMID:25808336

  7. Quantitative analysis of three-dimensional fibrillar collagen microstructure within the normal, aged and glaucomatous human optic nerve head.

    PubMed

    Jones, H J; Girard, M J; White, N; Fautsch, M P; Morgan, J E; Ethier, C R; Albon, J

    2015-05-06

    The aim of this study was to quantify connective tissue fibre orientation and alignment in young, old and glaucomatous human optic nerve heads (ONH) to understand ONH microstructure and predisposition to glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Transverse (seven healthy, three glaucomatous) and longitudinal (14 healthy) human ONH cryosections were imaged by both second harmonic generation microscopy and small angle light scattering (SALS) in order to quantify preferred fibre orientation (PFO) and degree of fibre alignment (DOFA). DOFA was highest within the peripapillary sclera (ppsclera), with relatively low values in the lamina cribrosa (LC). Elderly ppsclera DOFA was higher than that in young ppsclera (p < 0.00007), and generally higher than in glaucoma ppsclera. In all LCs, a majority of fibres had preferential orientation horizontally across the nasal-temporal axis. In all glaucomatous LCs, PFO was significantly different from controls in a minimum of seven out of 12 LC regions (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher fibre alignment was observed in the glaucomatous inferior-temporal LC (p < 0.017). The differences between young and elderly ONH fibre alignment within regions suggest that age-related microstructural changes occur within the structure. The additional differences in fibre alignment observed within the glaucomatous LC may reflect an inherent susceptibility to glaucomatous optic neuropathy, or may be a consequence of ONH remodelling and/or collapse.

  8. Laser-tuned whispering gallery modes in a solid-core microstructured optical fibre integrated with magnetic fluids

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Wei; Zhang, Hao; Liu, Bo; Song, Binbin; Li, Yuetao; Yang, Chengkun; Liu, Yange

    2015-01-01

    A laser-assisted tuning method of whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in a cylindrical microresonator based on magnetic-fluids-infiltrated microstructured optical fibres (MFIMOFs, where MF and MOF respectively refer to magnetic fluid and microstructured optical fibre) is proposed, experimentally demonstrated and theoretically analysed in detail. The MFIMOF is prepared by infiltrating the air-hole array of the MOF using capillary action effect. A fibre-coupling system is set up for the proposed MFIMOF-based microresonator to acquire an extinction ratio up to 25 dB and a Q-factor as large as 4.0 × 104. For the MF-infiltrated MOF, the light propagating in the fibre core region would rapidly spread out and would be absorbed by the MF-rod array cladding to induce significant thermal effect. This has been exploited to achieve a WGM resonance wavelength sensitivity of 0.034 nm/mW, which is ~20 times higher than it counterpart without MF infiltration. The wavelength response of the resonance dips exhibit linear power dependence, and owing to such desirable merits as ease of fabrication, high sensitivity and laser-assisted tunability, the proposed optical tuning approach of WGMs in the MFIMOF would find promising applications in the areas of optical filtering, sensing, and signal processing, as well as future all-optical networking systems. PMID:26632445

  9. Integration of conductive reduced graphene oxide into microstructured optical fibres for optoelectronics applications.

    PubMed

    Ruan, Yinlan; Ding, Liyun; Duan, Jingjing; Ebendorff-Heidepriem, Heike; Monro, Tanya M

    2016-02-22

    Integration of conductive materials into optical fibres can largely expand functions of fibre devices including surface plasmon resonator/metamaterial, modulators/detectors, or biosensors. Some early attempts have been made to incorporate metals such as tin into fibres during the fibre drawing process. Due to the restricted range of materials that have compatible melting temperatures with that of silica glass, the methods to incorporate metals along the length of the fibres are very challenging. Moreover, metals are nontransparent with strong light absorption, which causes high fibre loss. This article demonstrates a novel but simple method for creating transparent conductive reduced graphene oxide film onto microstructured silica fibres for potential optoelectronic applications. The strongly confined evanescent field of the suspended core fibres with only 2 μW average power was creatively used to transform graphene oxide into reduced graphene oxide with negligible additional loss. Existence of reduced graphene oxide was confirmed by their characteristic Raman signals, shifting of their fluorescence peaks as well as largely decreased resistance of the bulk GO film after laser beam exposure.

  10. Femtosecond laser processing of optical fibres for novel sensor development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalli, Kyriacos; Theodosiou, Antreas; Ioannou, Andreas; Lacraz, Amedee

    2017-04-01

    We present results of recent research where we have utilized a femtosecond laser to micro-structure silica and polymer optical fibres in order to realize versatile optical components such as diffractive optical elements on the fibre end face, the inscription of integrated waveguide circuits in the fibre cladding and novel optical fibre sensors designs based on Bragg gratings in the core. A major hurdle in tailoring or modifying the properties of optical fibres is the development of an inscription method that can prove to be a flexible and reliable process that is generally applicable to all optical fibre types; this requires careful matching of the laser parameters and optics in order to examine the spatial limits of direct laser writing, whether the application is structuring at the surface of the optical fibre or inscription in the core and cladding of the fibre. We demonstrate a variety of optical components such as two-dimensional grating structures, Bessel, Airy and vortex beam generators; moreover, optical bridging waveguides inscribed in the cladding of single-mode fibre as a means to selectively couple light from single-core to multi-core optical fibres, and demonstrate a grating based sensor; finally, we have developed a novel femtosecond laser inscription method for the precise inscription of tailored Bragg grating sensors in silica and polymer optical fibres. We also show that this novel fibre Bragg grating inscription technique can be used to modify and add versatility to an existing, encapsulated optical fibre pressure sensor.

  11. Spectrally encoded optical fibre sensor systems and their application in process control, environmental and structural monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Willsch, Reinhardt; Ecke, Wolfgang; Schwotzer, Gunter

    2005-09-01

    Different types of advanced optical fibre sensor systems using similar spectral interrogation principles and potential low-cost polychromator optoelectronic signal processing instrumentation will be presented, and examples of their industrial application are demonstrated. These are such sensors as multimode fibre based humidity, temperature, and pressure sensors with extrinsic microoptical Fabry-Perot transducers for process control in gas industry, UV absorption evanescent field sensors for organic pollution monitoring in groundwater, and single mode fibre Bragg grating (FBG) multiplexed strain & vibration and temperature sensor networks for structural health monitoring applications in electric power facilities, aerospace, railways, geotechnical and civil engineering. Recent results of current investigations applying FBGs and microstructured fibres for chemical sensing will be discussed.

  12. Non-interferometric determination of optical anisotropy in highly-oriented fibres using transport intensity equation technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokkar, T. Z. N.; El-Farahaty, K. A.; El-Bakary, M. A.; Raslan, M. I.; Omar, E. Z.; Hamza, A. A.

    2018-03-01

    The optical setup of the transport intensity equation (TIE) technique is developed to be valid for measuring the optical properties of the highly-oriented anisotropic fibres. This development is based on the microstructure models of the highly-oriented anisotropic fibres and the principle of anisotropy. We provide the setup of TIE technique with polarizer which is controlled via stepper motor. This developed technique is used to investigate the refractive indices in the parallel and perpendicular polarization directions of light for the highly-oriented poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibres and hence its birefringence. The obtained results through the developed TIE technique for PET fibre are compared with that determined experimentally using the Mach-Zehnder interferometer under the same conditions. The comparison shows a good agreement between the obtained results from the developed technique and that obtained from the Mach-Zehnder interferometer technique.

  13. Dispersion-engineered and highly nonlinear microstructured polymer optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frosz, Michael H.; Nielsen, Kristian; Hlubina, Petr; Stefani, Alessio; Bang, Ole

    2009-05-01

    We demonstrate dispersion-engineering of microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOFs) made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). A significant shift of the total dispersion from the material dispersion is confirmed through measurement of the mPOF dispersion using white-light spectral interferometry. The influence of strong loss peaks on the dispersion (through the Kramers-Kronig relations) is investigated theoretically. It is found that the strong loss peaks of PMMA above 1100 nm can significantly modify the dispersion, while the losses below 1100 nm only modify the dispersion slightly. To increase the nonlinearity of the mPOFs we investigated doping of PMMA with the highly-nonlinear dye Disperse Red 1. Both doping of a PMMA cane and direct doping of a PMMA mPOF was performed.

  14. The 22nd International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors, OFS-22

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Yianbiao; Jin, Wei; Jones, Julian; Tatam, Ralph

    2013-09-01

    In October 2013, the 22nd International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors was held in Beijing, attracting about 500 participants with 417 presentations. The conference began in 1983 in London, and in the subsequent 30 years has defined the subject. The conference is held approximately every 18 months, and rotates between three world regions: Asia/Pacific, Europe and the Americas. The conference is not 'owned' by any learned society or professional institution, but is organized by a self-sustaining international steering committee. This special feature represents the sixth occasion on which Measurement Science and Technology has published papers based on a development of a cross-section of work presented at the conference. The subject of optical fibre sensors has its beginnings in the enabling technologies of the optical fibre itself and the development of laser technologies suitable for practical use in demanding real-world applications. But the real driver for the subject in its early years was in the development of systems for defence applications, most notably for strategic-grade sea-bed hydrophone arrays for submarine detection, and the optical fibre gyroscope (the community has recently celebrated the 35th anniversary of its earliest publication) for aerospace navigation. Both applications continue to be important, but now with extensive civil applications: hydrophones for oil exploration and reservoir monitoring and management, and fibre gyroscopes for applications ranging from those requiring low cost and mass production (such as industrial robots and in agricultural machinery) to the most exotic and highest performance for space applications. The articles in this special feature exemplify the principal themes of the subject: enabling technologies, application-specific developments and systems considerations. In recent years, perhaps the most important—indeed, dominant—enabling technologies have been based on structuring of fibres: longitudinally, as in Bragg gratings, or transversely, using the science of metamaterials to produce microstructured fibres (e.g. photonic crystal fibres). In-fibre gratings continue to provide new types of sensor based on wavelength encoding, or for wavelength control for specialized sources or detection techniques. Microstructured fibres, meanwhile, provide materials with dispersion characteristics unattainable with conventional materials, as well as otherwise unfeasible physical characteristics that can be tailored to specific sensing applications. Examples of these types of technologies can be found in the following articles. The fields of application of optical fibre sensors, even if restricted to those presented at the conference, would be too lengthy to enumerate here. However, in this issue there are examples from medicine, transport, chemical sensing and electric power distribution, amongst others. An important advantage conferred by optical fibre sensors is the ability with which they can be multiplexed to form large arrays, interrogated via a single fibre, a topic that forms the subject of a number of papers in the issue. Lastly, as fibre sensors become the technology of choice in widespread applications, the issue of formal measurement standards begins to become important, and it is evidence of the maturity of the field that the subject is addressed in one of the papers published here: optical fibre sensors can now surely be said to have progressed from the physics laboratory to become a mainstream engineering reality.

  15. Microstructured fibres: a positive impact on defence technology?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Driscoll, E. J.; Watson, M. A.; Delmonte, T.; Petrovich, M. N.; Feng, X.; Flanagan, J. C.; Hayes, J. R.; Richardson, D. J.

    2006-09-01

    In this paper we seek to assess the potential impact of microstructured fibres for security and defence applications. Recent literature has presented results on using microstructured fibre for delivery of high power, high quality radiation and also on the use of microstructured fibre for broadband source generation. Whilst these two applications may appear contradictory to one another the inherent design flexibility of microstructured fibres allows fibres to be fabricated for the specific application requirements, either minimising (for delivery) or maximising (for broadband source generation) the nonlinear effects. In platform based laser applications such as infrared counter measures, remote sensing and laser directed-energy weapons, a suitable delivery fibre providing high power, high quality light delivery would allow a laser to be sited remotely from the sensor/device head. This opens up the possibility of several sensor/device types sharing the same multi-functional laser, thus reducing the complexity and hence the cost of such systems. For applications requiring broadband source characteristics, microstructured fibres can also offer advantages over conventional sources. By exploiting the nonlinear effects it is possible to realise a multifunctional source for applications such as active hyperspectral imaging, countermeasures, and biochemical sensing. These recent results suggest enormous potential for these novel fibre types to influence the next generation of photonic systems for security and defence applications. However, it is important to establish where the fibres can offer the greatest advantages and what research still needs to be done to drive the technology towards real platform solutions.

  16. Biological strategy for the fabrication of highly ordered aragonite helices: the microstructure of the cavolinioidean gastropods

    PubMed Central

    Checa, Antonio G.; Macías-Sánchez, Elena; Ramírez-Rico, Joaquín

    2016-01-01

    The Cavolinioidea are planktonic gastropods which construct their shells with the so-called aragonitic helical fibrous microstructure, consisting of a highly ordered arrangement of helically coiled interlocking continuous crystalline aragonite fibres. Our study reveals that, despite the high and continuous degree of interlocking between fibres, every fibre has a differentiated organic-rich thin external band, which is never invaded by neighbouring fibres. In this way, fibres avoid extinction. These intra-fibre organic-rich bands appear on the growth surface of the shell as minuscule elevations, which have to be secreted differentially by the outer mantle cells. We propose that, as the shell thickens during mineralization, fibre secretion proceeds by a mechanism of contact recognition and displacement of the tips along circular trajectories by the cells of the outer mantle surface. Given the sizes of the tips, this mechanism has to operate at the subcellular level. Accordingly, the fabrication of the helical microstructure is under strict biological control. This mechanism of fibre-by-fibre fabrication by the mantle cells is unlike that any other shell microstructure. PMID:27181457

  17. Composite silicon nanostructure arrays fabricated on optical fibre by chemical etching of multicrystal silicon film.

    PubMed

    Zuo, Zewen; Zhu, Kai; Ning, Lixin; Cui, Guanglei; Qu, Jun; Huang, Wanxia; Shi, Yi; Liu, Hong

    2015-04-17

    Integrating nanostructures onto optical fibers presents a promising strategy for developing new-fashioned devices and extending the scope of nanodevices' applications. Here we report the first fabrication of a composite silicon nanostructure on an optical fiber. Through direct chemical etching using an H2O2/HF solution, multicrystal silicon films with columnar microstructures are etched into a vertically aligned, inverted-cone-like nanorod array embedded in a nanocone array. A faster dissolution rate of the silicon at the void-rich boundary regions between the columns is found to be responsible for the separation of the columns, and thus the formation of the nanostructure array. The morphology of the nanorods primarily depends on the microstructure of the columns in the film. Through controlling the microstructure of the as-grown film and the etching parameters, the structural control of the nanostructure is promising. This fabrication method can be extended to a larger length scale, and it even allows roll-to-roll processing.

  18. Yb-fibre Laser Welding of 6 mm Duplex Stainless Steel 2205

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bolut, M.; Kong, C. Y.; Blackburn, J.; Cashell, K. A.; Hobson, P. R.

    Duplex stainless steel (DSS) is one of the materials of choice for structural and nuclear applications, having high strength and good corrosion resistance when compared with other grades of stainless steel. The welding process used to join these materials is critical as transformation of the microstructure during welding directly affects the material properties. High power laser welding has recently seen an increase in research interest as it offers both speed and flexibility. This paper presents an investigation into the important parameters affecting laser welding of DSS grade 2205, with particular focus given to the critical issue of phase transformation during welding. Bead-on-plate melt-run trials without filler material were performed on 6mm thick plates using a 5 kW Yb-fibre laser. The laser beam was characterized and a Design of Experiment approach was used to quantify the impact of the process parameters. Optical metallographic methods were used to examine the resulting microstructures.

  19. Anti-Stokes effect CCD camera and SLD based optical coherence tomography for full-field imaging in the 1550nm region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kredzinski, Lukasz; Connelly, Michael J.

    2012-06-01

    Full-field Optical coherence tomography is an en-face interferometric imaging technology capable of carrying out high resolution cross-sectional imaging of the internal microstructure of an examined specimen in a non-invasive manner. The presented system is based on competitively priced optical components available at the main optical communications band located in the 1550 nm region. It consists of a superluminescent diode and an anti-stokes imaging device. The single mode fibre coupled SLD was connected to a multi-mode fibre inserted into a mode scrambler to obtain spatially incoherent illumination, suitable for OCT wide-field modality in terms of crosstalk suppression and image enhancement. This relatively inexpensive system with moderate resolution of approximately 24um x 12um (axial x lateral) was constructed to perform a 3D cross sectional imaging of a human tooth. To our knowledge this is the first 1550 nm full-field OCT system reported.

  20. High-temperature tensile cell for in situ real-time investigation of carbon fibre carbonization and graphitization processes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Behr, Michael; Rix, James; Landes, Brian

    2016-10-17

    A new high-temperature fibre tensile cell is described, developed for use at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to enable the investigation of the carbonization and graphitization processes during carbon fibre production. This cell is used to heat precursor fibre bundles to temperatures up to ~2300°C in a controlled inert atmosphere, while applying tensile stress to facilitate formation of highly oriented graphitic microstructure; evolution of the microstructure as a function of temperature and time during the carbonization and higher-temperature graphitization processes can then be monitored by collecting real-time wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns. As an example, the carbonizationmore » and graphitization behaviour of an oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibre was studied up to a temperature of ~1750°C. Real-time WAXD revealed the gradual increase in microstructure alignment with the fibre axis with increasing temperature over the temperature range 600–1100°C. Above 1100°C, no further changes in orientation were observed. The overall magnitude of change increased with increasing applied tensile stress during carbonization. As a second example, the high-temperature graphitizability of PAN- and pitch-derived commercial carbon fibres was studied. Here, the magnitude of graphitic microstructure evolution of the pitch-derived fibre far exceeded that of the PAN-derived fibres at temperatures up to ~2300°C, indicating its facile graphitizability.« less

  1. Parametric optimisation and microstructural analysis on high power Yb-fibre laser welding of Ti-6Al-4V

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, J.; Chen, L.; Davies, C. M.; Dear, J. P.

    2016-11-01

    In this work thin sheets of Ti-6Al-4V were full penetration welded using a 5 kW fibre laser in order to evaluate the effectiveness of high power fibre laser as a welding processing tool for welding Ti-6Al-4V with the requirements of the aircraft industry and to determine the effect of welding parameters including laser power, welding speed and beam focal position on the weld microstructure, bead profile and weld quality. It involved establishing an understanding of the influence of welding parameters on microstructural change, welding defects, and the characteristics of heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal (WM) of fibre laser welded joints. The optimum range of welding parameters which produced welds without cracking and porosity were identified. The influence of the welding parameters on the weld joint heterogeneity was characterised by conducting detailed microstructural analysis.

  2. EDITORIAL: Optical Fibre Sensors 18 (OFS-18)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, Julian D. C.; Tatam, Ralph P.

    2007-10-01

    The International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors (OFS-18) was held in October 2006 in Cancún, Mexico, under the general chairmanship of Dr Alexis Mendez (MCH Engineering LLC, USA) and Dr Fernando Mendoza (Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, Mexico). 'OFS', as it has become known, is firmly established as the leading international conference for the optical fibre sensor community. Since its inception, in London in 1983, and under the leadership of an international steering committee independent of any learned society or professional institution, it has been held approximately every eighteen months. The venue nominally rotates from Europe, to the Americas, and thence to Asia and the Pacific. OFS-18 demonstrated the continuing vigour of the community, with some 250 papers presented, plus two workshops, with attendance as international as ever. In recent years, it has become a tradition to publish a post-conference special issue in the journal Measurement Science and Technology, and these special issues offer a representative sample of the current status of the field. In the nearly 25 years since OFS began, many of the early ideas and laboratory-based proof-of-principle experiments have led to highly developed instrumentation systems, and to successful commercial products. Perhaps the most mature of all of these technologies is the optical fibre gyroscope, with the fibre hydrophone a close second—originally developed for defence applications for which it is now established, but with increasing relevance to the oil and gas industry; electromagnetic sensors based on the Faraday and electro-optic effects are of growing significance in the power generation and distribution industry; whilst in-fibre grating-based sensors occupy an expanding niche in structural monitoring, especially in civil engineering. It is therefore appropriate that the first day of OFS was devoted to workshops on structural health monitoring, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the fibre optic gyroscope, conventionally taken to date from the first experimental demonstration by V Vali and R W Shorthill (1976 'Fibre ring interferometer' Appl. Opt. 15 1099-100). It is an indication of the health of the community that the successful maturity of some applications is complemented by the new technologies that will be the basis of the future development of the field, and here the content of this special issue is an interesting indication of likely areas of growth. Essentially all current fibre optic systems are based on solid, doped fused silica fibres, which are the basis of the world's telecommunications industry. However, over the last decade an exciting development has been micro-structured fibres, whose waveguiding properties owe as much to the structure of the fibre as to the materials from which they are made. The significance for sensing applications is considerable, with opportunities to achieve properties for dispersion, environmental sensitivity, wavelength range and power-handling quite different from the capabilities of conventional fibre. Thus it is not surprising that several of the papers in the issue (by Cordeiro, Martynkien, Bock, Wolinski, Michie, Digonnet and Kilic) are devoted to applications of such fibres—photonic crystal fibres (PCF), as they are often called. Digonnet's contribution is especially interesting, being concerned with the use of hollow-core photonic bandgap fibre to form a gyroscope, hence avoiding the many subtle non-linear optical effects that can degrade the performance of a conventional fibre gyroscope. PCF are not the only special fibres to feature in the issue: polymer fibres are of increasing interest for sensing applications (O'Keeffe, Kiesel, Kalli and Ashley), not least for their ability to withstand high levels of strain. In-fibre gratings continue to be a very important area in the field, and are well represented in the issue (Ni, González-Segura, Chen, Falate, Kamikawachi, Wang and Correia). We hope that this special issue helps to further developments in the field of optical fibre sensors and we would like to thank all the contributing authors and reviewers for making this special issue possible. We would also like to thank the staff at IOP Publishing for their support and in ensuring timely publication. OFS-19 will be held in Perth, Australia, on 14-18 April 2008, with the intention of publishing a further special issue next year.

  3. Laser inscription of pseudorandom structures for microphotonic diffuser applications.

    PubMed

    Alqurashi, Tawfiq; Alhosani, Abdulla; Dauleh, Mahmoud; Yetisen, Ali K; Butt, Haider

    2018-04-19

    Optical diffusers provide a solution for a variety of applications requiring a Gaussian intensity distribution including imaging systems, biomedical optics, and aerospace. Advances in laser ablation processes have allowed the rapid production of efficient optical diffusers. Here, we demonstrate a novel technique to fabricate high-quality glass optical diffusers with cost-efficiency using a continuous CO2 laser. Surface relief pseudorandom microstructures were patterned on both sides of the glass substrates. A numerical simulation of the temperature distribution showed that the CO2 laser drills a 137 μm hole in the glass for every 2 ms of processing time. FFT simulation was utilized to design predictable optical diffusers. The pseudorandom microstructures were characterized by optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and angle-resolved spectroscopy to assess their chemical properties, optical scattering, transmittance, and polarization response. Increasing laser exposure and the number of diffusing surfaces enhanced the diffusion and homogenized the incident light. The recorded speckle pattern showed high contrast with sharp bright spot free diffusion in the far field view range (250 mm). A model of glass surface peeling was also developed to prevent its occurrence during the fabrication process. The demonstrated method provides an economical approach in fabricating optical glass diffusers in a controlled and predictable manner. The produced optical diffusers have application in fibre optics, LED systems, and spotlights.

  4. FIBER OPTICS: Fibre optics: Forty years later

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dianov, Evgenii M.

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a brief overview of the state of the art in fibre optics and its main applications: optical fibre communications, fibre lasers and fibre sensors for various physical property measurements. The future of fibre optics and the status of this important area of the modern technology in Russia are discussed.

  5. Development of optical fiber technology in Poland 2015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romaniuk, Ryszard S.; Wójcik, Waldemar

    2015-12-01

    The paper is a digest of works presented during the XVIth National Symposium on Optical Fibres and Their Applications. The Symposium is organized since 1976. OFTA 2015 was organized by Optical Fibre Laboratory of the Faculty of Chemistry at University of Maria Curie Skłodowska, and Institute of Electronics and Information Technology of Lublin University of Technology, in Nałęczów on 22-25 September 2015. The meeting has gathered around 120 participants who presented 85 research and technical papers. The Symposium organized every 18 months is a good portrait of optical fibre technology development in Poland at university laboratories, governmental institutes, company R&D laboratories, etc. Topical tracks of the Symposium were: optical and photonic materials, technology of classical, tailored and structural photonic optical fibres, light propagation physics in optical fibres, passive and active optical fibre components, optical fibre sensors, passive and active optical fibre networks, optical fibre amplifiers and lasers, optical fibre network issues: modulation, architectures, economy, etc.

  6. Studies on mechanical properties of aluminium 6061 reinforced with titanium and E glass fibre metal matrix hybrid composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, B. N. Ravi; Vidyasagar, H. N.; Shivanand, H. K.

    2018-04-01

    2Development of the mmc with fibers and filler materials as a replacement material for some engineering purpose such as automobiles, aerospace are indispensable. Therefore, the studies related to hybrid mmc's of Al6061 were noted in this paper. In this work, Al6061 reinforced with E glass fibers and micro Titanium particles. Hybrid composites was prepared by very feasible and commercially used technique Stir casting and by varying composition of Al6061, Titanium and E-glass fibre. Experiments were done by varying weight fraction of Titanium (0%, 1%, 3% and 5%) and E glass fibre (0%, 1%, 3% and 5%). Wire EDM were used to prepare the specimens required for tensile and hardness according to standards and tests conducted. The proportion of elements which are present the mmc's are identified by EDAX. Optical microscopy were conducted by SU3500 machine Scanning Electron Microscope and Microstructure shows the distribution of reinforced Ti particles and E glass fibres. The characterization of Al6061 hybrid mmc's is having significant impact on the mechanical properties.

  7. Influence of drying temperature on dietary fibre, rehydration properties, texture and microstructure of Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.).

    PubMed

    Vega-Gálvez, Antonio; Zura-Bravo, Liliana; Lemus-Mondaca, Roberto; Martinez-Monzó, Javier; Quispe-Fuentes, Issis; Puente, Luis; Di Scala, Karina

    2015-04-01

    The effects of air drying temperature on dietary fibre, texture and microstructure of the Cape gooseberry fruits during convective dehydration in the range of 50-90 ºC were investigated. The ratio of insoluble dietary fibre to soluble dietary fibre was higher than 7:1 for all dehydrated samples. At 50 ºC tissue structure damage was evidenced leading to the maximum water holding capacity (47.4 ± 2.8 g retained water/100 g water) and the lowest rehydration ratio (1.15 ± 0.06 g absorbed water/g d.m.). Texture analysis showed effects of drying temperatures on TPA parameters. Changes in microstructure tissue were also observed at the studied drying temperatures. Hot air drying technology leads not only to fruit preservation but also increases and adds value to Cape gooseberry, an asset to develop new functional products.

  8. Changes in the microstructure and properties of aspen chemithermomechanical pulp fibres during recycling.

    PubMed

    Fu, Yingjuan; Wang, Rongrong; Li, Dejuan; Wang, Zhaojiang; Zhang, Fengshan; Meng, Qinglin; Qin, Menghua

    2015-03-06

    The effects of recycling on the microstructure and properties of bleached aspen chemithermomechanical pulp (CTMP) fibres were systematically investigated. The low-temperature nitrogen adsorption and atomic force microscopy results showed that a substantial amount of large pores and most of the very small pores in the fibre wall closed and the fibre surface became less coarse and porous during recycling. The partial cocrystallisation of cellulose microfibrils took place, as reflected in the increment of the cellulose crystallinity and the width of the crystallite in the 0 0 2 lattice plane. These irreversible structural changes caused significant hornification of the recycled fibres, leading to the loss of swelling and bonding capability. The decrease of the tensile index, burst index, and tear index further demonstrated the deterioration of the fibre properties. However, the single-fibre strength considerably increased after recycling, which was mainly due to the enlarged cellulose aggregates in the fibre wall. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Polarisation reflectometry of anisotropic optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Konstantinov, Yurii A.; Kryukov, Igor'I.; Pervadchuk, Vladimir P.; Toroshin, Andrei Yu

    2009-11-01

    Anisotropic, polarisation-maintaining fibres have been studied using a reflectometer and integrated optic polariser. Linearly polarised pulses were launched into the fibre under test at different angles between their plane of polarisation and the main optical axis of the fibre. A special procedure for the correlation analysis of these reflectograms is developed to enhance the reliability of the information about the longitudinal optical uniformity ofanisotropic fibres.

  10. Bismuth-doped optical fibres: A new breakthrough in near-IR lasing media

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dianov, Evgenii M

    Recent results demonstrate that bismuth-doped optical fibres have considerable potential as near-IR active lasing media. This paper examines bismuth-doped fibres intended for the fabrication of fibre lasers and optical amplifiers and reviews recent results on the luminescence properties of various types of bismuth-doped fibres and the performance of bismuth-doped fibre lasers and optical amplifiers for the spectral range 1150 - 1550 nm. Problems are discussed that have yet to be solved in order to improve the efficiency of the bismuth lasers and optical amplifiers. (optical fibres, lasers and amplifiers. properties and applications)

  11. Fibre reinforced ceramic matrix composite fabrication by electrophoretic infiltration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kooner, S.; Campaniello, J.J.; Pickering, S.

    Electrophoretic infiltration is a novel technique for the fabrication of fibre reinforced composites. The fibres are arranged as one of the electrodes such that deposition of the colloidal ceramic occurs in the fibre preform. This method has been investigated for the composite system of carbon fibre reinforced Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and has produced green composite microstructures with good infiltration uniformity and fibre distribution and few macro defects.

  12. Microstructured optical fibers for terahertz waveguiding regime by using an analytical field model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Dinesh Kumar; Sharma, Anurag; Tripathi, Saurabh Mani

    2017-12-01

    Microstructured optical fibres (MOFs) are seen as novel optical waveguide for the potential applications in the terahertz (THz) band as they provide a flexible route towards THz waveguiding. Using the analytical field model (Sharma et al., 2014) developed for index-guiding MOFs with hexagonal lattice of circular air-holes in the photonic crystal cladding; we aim to study the propagation characteristics such as effective index, near and the far-field radiation patterns and its evolution from near-to-far-field domain, spot size, effective mode area, and the numerical aperture at the THz regime. Further, we present an analytical field expression for the next higher-order mode of the MOF for studying the modal properties at terahertz frequencies. Also, we investigate the mode cut-off conditions for identifying the single-mode operation range at THz frequencies. Emphasis is put on studying the coupling characteristics of MOF geometries for efficient mode coupling. Comparisons with available experimental and numerical simulation results, e.g., those based on the full-vector finite element method (FEM) and the finite-difference frequency-domain (FDFD) method have been included.

  13. Waves in microstructured solids and negative group velocity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peets, T.; Kartofelev, D.; Tamm, K.; Engelbrecht, J.

    2013-07-01

    Waves with negative group velocity (NGV) were discovered in optics by Sommerfeld and Brillouin, and experimentally verified in many cases, for example in left-handed media. For waves in solids, such an effect is described mostly in layered media. In this paper, it is demonstrated that in microstructured solids, waves with NGV may also exist leading to backwards pulse propagation. Two physical cases are analysed: a Mindlin-type hierarchical (a scale within a scale) material and a felt-type (made of fibres) material. For both cases, the dispersion analysis of one-dimensional waves shows that there exists certain ranges of physical parameters which lead to NGV. The results can be used in dispersion engineering for designing materials with certain properties.

  14. Elastin and collagen fibre microstructure of the human aorta in ageing and disease: a review

    PubMed Central

    Tsamis, Alkiviadis; Krawiec, Jeffrey T.; Vorp, David A.

    2013-01-01

    Aortic disease is a significant cause of death in developed countries. The most common forms of aortic disease are aneurysm, dissection, atherosclerotic occlusion and ageing-induced stiffening. The microstructure of the aortic tissue has been studied with great interest, because alteration of the quantity and/or architecture of the connective fibres (elastin and collagen) within the aortic wall, which directly imparts elasticity and strength, can lead to the mechanical and functional changes associated with these conditions. This review article summarizes the state of the art with respect to characterization of connective fibre microstructure in the wall of the human aorta in ageing and disease, with emphasis on the ascending thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta where the most common forms of aortic disease tend to occur. PMID:23536538

  15. A comparison of clinic based dosimeters based on silica optical fibre and plastic optical fibre for in vivo dosimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Lingxia; O'Keeffe, Sinead; Woulfe, Peter; Lewis, Elfed

    2017-04-01

    Four sensors based on silica optical fibre and plastic optical fibre for clinical in-vivo dosimetry have been fabricated and tested on site at Galway Clinic. The initial comparison results have been attained for the four sensors when they have been irradiated with beam energies of 6 MV and 15 MV at different dose rates using a modern clinical linear accelerator (Linac) as the radiation source. According to the experimental test results, the sensors based on silica optical fibre exhibit greater sensitivity to the incident radiation beam than the sensors based on plastic optical fibre when they are exposed to identical irradiation conditions. The output intensity from the sensor based on silica fibre is 5 times higher than the sensor based on plastic optical fibre.

  16. Creep deformation of grain boundary in a highly crystalline SiC fibre.

    PubMed

    Shibayama, Tamaki; Yoshida, Yutaka; Yano, Yasuhide; Takahashi, Heishichiro

    2003-01-01

    Silicon carbide (SiC) matrix composites reinforced by SiC fibres (SiC/SiC composites) are currently being considered as alternative materials in high Ni alloys for high-temperature applications, such as aerospace components, gas-turbine energy-conversion systems and nuclear fusion reactors, because of their high specific strength and fracture toughness at elevated temperatures compared with monolithic SiC ceramics. It is important to evaluate the creep properties of SiC fibres under tensile loading in order to determine their usefulness as structural components. However, it would be hard to evaluate creep properties by monoaxial tensile properties when we have little knowledge on the microstructure of crept specimens, especially at the grain boundary. Recently, a simple fibre bend stress relaxation (BSR) test was introduced by Morscher and DiCarlo to address this problem. Interpretation of the fracture mechanism at the grain boundary is also essential to allow improvement of the mechanical properties. In this paper, effects of stress applied by BSR test on microstructural evolution in advanced SiC fibres, such as Tyranno-SA including small amounts of Al, are described and discussed along with the results of microstructure analysis on an atomic scale by using advanced microscopy.

  17. Monitoring the fabrication of tapered optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mullaney, K.; Correia, R.; Staines, S. E.; James, S. W.; Tatam, R. P.

    2017-04-01

    A variety of optical methods to enhance the process of making optical fibre tapers are explored. A thermal camera was used to both refine the alignment of the optical components and optimize the laser power profile during the tapering process. The fibre transmission was measured to verify that the tapers had the requisite optical characteristics while the strain experienced by the fibre while tapering was assessed using an optical fibre Bragg grating. Using these techniques, adiabatic tapers were fabricated with a 2% insertion loss.

  18. CONFERENCE NOTE: CETO—Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Opticas, Trends in Optical Fibre Metrology and Standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1994-01-01

    Summer School, 27 June to 8 July 1994, Viana do Castelo, Hotel do Parque, Portugal Optical fibres, with their extremely low transmission loss, untapped bandwidth and controllable dispersion, dominate a broad range of technologies in which applications must respond to the increasing constraints of today's specifications as well as envisage future requirements. Optical fibres dominate communications systems. In the area of sensors, fibre optics will be fully exploited for their immunity to EMI, their high sensitivity and their large dynamic range. The maturity of single mode optical technology has led to intensive R&D of a range of components based on the advantages of transmission characteristics and signal processing. Specifications and intercompatibility requests for the new generation of both analogue and digital fibre optical components and systems has created a demand for sophisticated measuring techniques based on unique and complex instruments. In recent years there has been a signification evolution in response to the explosion of applications and the tightening of specifications. These developments justify a concerted effort to focus on trends in optical fibre metrology and standards. Objective The objective of this school is to provide a progressive and comprehensive presentation of current issues concerning passive and active optical fibre characterization and measurement techniques. Passive fibre components support a variety of developments in optical fibre systems and will be discussed in terms of relevance and standards. Particular attention will be paid to devices for metrological purposes such as reference fibres and calibration artefacts. The characterization and testing of optical fibre amplifiers, which have great potential in telecommunications, data distribution networks and as a system part in instrumentation, will be covered. Methods of measurement and means of calibration with traceability will be discussed, together with the characterization requirements of the new generation of analogue and digital fibre optical systems, which require sophisticated measurement techniques employing complex instruments unique to optical measurements. The school will foster and enhance the interaction between material, devices, systems, and standards-oriented R&D communities, as well as between engineers concerned with design and manufacturers of systems and instrumentation. Topics Review of optical fibre communication technology and systems Measurement techniques for fibre characterization: Reliability and traceability Reference fibres and calibration artefacts Ribbon fibres Mechanical and environmental testing Fibre reliability Polarimetric measurements Passive components characterization: Splices and connectors Couplers, splitters, taps and WDMs Optical fibres and isolators WDM technologies and applications: WDM technologies Tunable optical filters Fibre amplifiers and sources: Performances and characterization Design and standards Nonlinear effects Subsystem design and standards: Design and fabrication techniques Performance degradation and reliability Evaluation of costs/performance/technology Sensors IR - optical fibres Plastic fibres Instrumentation Registration Participation free of charge for postgraduate students, with some grants available for travel and lodging expenses. All correspondence should be addressed to: Secretariat, Trends in Optical Fibre Metrology and Standards, a/c Prof. Olivério D D Soares, Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Opticas, Lab. Fisica - Faculdade de Ciências, Praça Gomes Teixeira, P-4000 Porto, Portugal. Tel: 351-2-310290, 351-2-2001648; Fax: 351-2-319267.

  19. Modified femtosecond laser inscription method for tailored grating sensors in encapsulated silica and low-loss polymer optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalli, Kyriacos; Lacraz, Amedee; Theodosiou, Andreas; Kofinas, Marios

    2016-05-01

    There is great interest in the development of flexible wavelength filters and optical fibre sensors, such as Bragg and superstructure gratings, grating arrays and chirped gratings in glass and polymer optical fibres. A major hurdle is the development of an inscription method that should offer flexibility and reliability and be generally applicable to all optical fibre types. With this in mind we have developed a novel femtosecond laser inscription method; plane-by-plane inscription, whereby a 3D-index change of controlled length across the fibre core, width along the fibre axis and depth is written into the optical fibre. We apply this method for the inscription of various grating types in coated silica and low- loss CYTOP polymer optical fibres. The plane-by-plane method allows for multiple and overlapping gratings in the fibre core. Moreover, we demonstrate that this novel fibre Bragg grating inscription technique can be used to modify and add versatility to an existing, encapsulated optical fibre pressure sensor. The femtosecond laser is operated in the green or the near infra-red, based on the material properties under laser modification.

  20. Mapping of recent brachiopod microstructure: A tool for environmental studies.

    PubMed

    Ye, Facheng; Crippa, Gaia; Angiolini, Lucia; Brand, Uwe; Capitani, GianCarlo; Cusack, Maggie; Garbelli, Claudio; Griesshaber, Erika; Harper, Elizabeth; Schmahl, Wolfgang

    2018-03-01

    Shells of brachiopods are excellent archives for environmental reconstructions in the recent and distant past as their microstructure and geochemistry respond to climate and environmental forcings. We studied the morphology and size of the basic structural unit, the secondary layer fibre, of the shells of several extant brachiopod taxa to derive a model correlating microstructural patterns to environmental conditions. Twenty-one adult specimens of six recent brachiopod species adapted to different environmental conditions, from Antarctica, to New Zealand, to the Mediterranean Sea, were chosen for microstructural analysis using SEM, TEM and EBSD. We conclude that: 1) there is no significant difference in the shape and size of the fibres between ventral and dorsal valves, 2) there is an ontogenetic trend in the shape and size of the fibres, as they become larger, wider, and flatter with increasing age. This indicates that the fibrous layer produced in the later stages of growth, which is recommended by the literature to be the best material for geochemical analyses, has a different morphostructure and probably a lower organic content than that produced earlier in life. In two species of the same genus living in seawater with different temperature and carbonate saturation state, a relationship emerged between the microstructure and environmental conditions. Fibres of the polar Liothyrella uva tend to be smaller, rounder and less convex than those of the temperate Liothyrella neozelanica, suggesting a relationship between microstructural size, shell organic matter content, ambient seawater temperature and calcite saturation state. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Revealing fine microstructural morphology in the living human retina using Optical Coherence Tomography with pancorrection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torti, C.; Považay, B.; Hofer, B.; Unterhuber, A.; Hermann, B.; Drexler, W.

    2008-09-01

    Ultra-high speed optical coherence tomography employing an ultra-broadband light source has been combined with adaptive optics utilizing a single high stroke deformable mirror and chromatic aberration compensation. The reduction of motion artefacts, geometric and chromatic aberrations (pancorrection) permits to achieve an isotropic resolution of 2-3 μm in the human eye. The performance of this non-invasive imaging modality enables to resolve cellular structures including cone photoreceptors, nerve fibre bundles and collagenous plates of the lamina cribrosa, and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in the human retina in vivo with superior detail. Alterations of cellular morphology due to cone degeneration in a colour-blind subject are investigated in ultra-high resolution with selective depth sectioning for the first time.

  2. High Efficiency Coupling of Optical Fibres with SU8 Micro-droplet Using Laser Welding Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yardi, Seema; Gupta, Ankur; Sundriyal, Poonam; Bhatt, Geeta; Kant, Rishi; Boolchandani, D.; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

    2016-09-01

    Apart from micro- structure fabrication, ablation, lithography etc., lasers find a lot of utility in various areas like precision joining, device fabrication, local heat delivery for surface texturing and local change of microstructure fabrication of standalone optical micro-devices (like microspheres, micro-prisms, micro-scale ring resonators, optical switches etc). There is a wide utility of such systems in chemical/ biochemical diagnostics and also communications where the standalone optical devices exist at a commercial scale but chip based devices with printed optics are necessary due to coupling issues between printed structures and external optics. This paper demonstrates a novel fabrication strategy used to join standalone optical fibres to microchip based printed optics using a simple SU8 drop. The fabrication process is deployed for fiber to fiber optical coupling and coupling between fiber and printed SU-8 waveguides. A CO2 laser is used to locally heat the coupling made up of SU8 material. Optimization of various dimensional parameters using design of experiments (DOE) on the bonded assembly has been performed as a function of laser power, speed, cycle control, spot size so on so forth. Exclusive optical [RF] modelling has been performed to estimate the transmissibility of the optical fibers bonded to each other on a surface with SU8. Our studies indicate the formation of a Whispering gallery mode (WGM) across the micro-droplet leading to high transmissibility of the signal. Through this work we have thus been able to develop a method of fabrication for optical coupling of standalone fibers or coupling of on-chip optics with off-chip illumination/detection.

  3. Fun with Optical Fibres

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alti, Kamlesh

    2017-01-01

    Optical fibres play a very crucial role in today's technologies. Academic courses in optical fibres start at the undergraduate level. Nevertheless, student's curiosity towards optical fibres starts from the school level. In this paper, some fun experiments have been designed for both school and college students, which have some concrete…

  4. Fibre-optic nonlinear optical microscopy and endoscopy.

    PubMed

    Fu, L; Gu, M

    2007-06-01

    Nonlinear optical microscopy has been an indispensable laboratory tool of high-resolution imaging in thick tissue and live animals. Rapid developments of fibre-optic components in terms of growing functionality and decreasing size provide enormous opportunities for innovations in nonlinear optical microscopy. Fibre-based nonlinear optical endoscopy is the sole instrumentation to permit the cellular imaging within hollow tissue tracts or solid organs that are inaccessible to a conventional optical microscope. This article reviews the current development of fibre-optic nonlinear optical microscopy and endoscopy, which includes crucial technologies for miniaturized nonlinear optical microscopy and their embodiments of endoscopic systems. A particular attention is given to several classes of photonic crystal fibres that have been applied to nonlinear optical microscopy due to their unique properties for ultrashort pulse delivery and signal collection. Furthermore, fibre-optic nonlinear optical imaging systems can be classified into portable microscopes suitable for imaging behaving animals, rigid endoscopes that allow for deep tissue imaging with minimally invasive manners, and flexible endoscopes enabling imaging of internal organs. Fibre-optic nonlinear optical endoscopy is coming of age and a paradigm shift leading to optical microscope tools for early cancer detection and minimally invasive surgery.

  5. Three dimensional microstructural network of elastin, collagen, and cells in Achilles tendons.

    PubMed

    Pang, Xin; Wu, Jian-Ping; Allison, Garry T; Xu, Jiake; Rubenson, Jonas; Zheng, Ming-Hao; Lloyd, David G; Gardiner, Bruce; Wang, Allan; Kirk, Thomas Brett

    2017-06-01

    Similar to most biological tissues, the biomechanical, and functional characteristics of the Achilles tendon are closely related to its composition and microstructure. It is commonly reported that type I collagen is the predominant component of tendons and is mainly responsible for the tissue's function. Although elastin has been found in varying proportions in other connective tissues, previous studies report that tendons contain very small quantities of elastin. However, the morphology and the microstructural relationship among the elastic fibres, collagen, and cells in tendon tissue have not been well examined. We hypothesize the elastic fibres, as another fibrillar component in the extracellular matrix, have a unique role in mechanical function and microstructural arrangement in Achilles tendons. It has been shown that elastic fibres present a close connection with the tenocytes. The close relationship of the three components has been revealed as a distinct, integrated and complex microstructural network. Notably, a "spiral" structure within fibril bundles in Achilles tendons was observed in some samples in specialized regions. This study substantiates the hierarchical system of the spatial microstructure of tendon, including the mapping of collagen, elastin and tenocytes, with 3-dimensional confocal images. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:1203-1214, 2017. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Assessing White Matter Microstructure in Brain Regions with Different Myelin Architecture Using MRI.

    PubMed

    Groeschel, Samuel; Hagberg, Gisela E; Schultz, Thomas; Balla, Dávid Z; Klose, Uwe; Hauser, Till-Karsten; Nägele, Thomas; Bieri, Oliver; Prasloski, Thomas; MacKay, Alex L; Krägeloh-Mann, Ingeborg; Scheffler, Klaus

    2016-01-01

    We investigate how known differences in myelin architecture between regions along the cortico-spinal tract and frontal white matter (WM) in 19 healthy adolescents are reflected in several quantitative MRI parameters that have been proposed to non-invasively probe WM microstructure. In a clinically feasible scan time, both conventional imaging sequences as well as microstructural MRI parameters were assessed in order to quantitatively characterise WM regions that are known to differ in the thickness of their myelin sheaths, and in the presence of crossing or parallel fibre organisation. We found that diffusion imaging, MR spectroscopy (MRS), myelin water fraction (MWF), Magnetization Transfer Imaging, and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping were myelin-sensitive in different ways, giving complementary information for characterising WM microstructure with different underlying fibre architecture. From the diffusion parameters, neurite density (NODDI) was found to be more sensitive than fractional anisotropy (FA), underlining the limitation of FA in WM crossing fibre regions. In terms of sensitivity to different myelin content, we found that MWF, the mean diffusivity and chemical-shift imaging based MRS yielded the best discrimination between areas. Multimodal assessment of WM microstructure was possible within clinically feasible scan times using a broad combination of quantitative microstructural MRI sequences. By assessing new microstructural WM parameters we were able to provide normative data and discuss their interpretation in regions with different myelin architecture, as well as their possible application as biomarker for WM disorders.

  7. A novel optical fibre doped with the nano-material as InP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Xi; Lee, Ly Guat; Zhang, Ru

    2007-11-01

    As the key of these optical devices which are widely used in the communication system, high nonlinear optical fibre will play an important role in the future optical fibre communication. With recent growth of nano-technology, researchers are hoping to obtain some kinds of optical fibre by combining the optical fibre with the nanotechnology. According to this current situation, the optical fibre doped with nano-material as InP (indium phosphide) is manufactured by using the MCVD (modified chemical vapor deposition) technology after our comprehensive consideration of many relative factors. Proved by experiments, this novel optical fibre has an excellent waveguide characteristic. After a consideration of the model of this novel optical fibre, its propagation constant β has been simulated by using the FEM (finite element method), and the graphs of presentation of magnetic field of the core are also obtained. In accordance with the results, the effective refractive index n eff = 1.401 has be calculated. Both the calculated result and the simulated graphs are matching well with the test, and this result is a step-stone bridge for future research of nonlinear parameter on this novel optical fiber.

  8. Design of dual-mode optical fibres for the FTTH applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Ming-Yang; Li, Yu-Rong; Zhang, Yin; Zhu, Yuan-Feng; Zhang, Yong-Kang; Zhou, Jun

    2011-01-01

    We present in this article a proposal and design for dual-mode optical fibres for fibre-to-the-home applications. High-order modes in the fibre can be effectively suppressed by the connection of the fibre with standard single-mode optical fibres at the two ends of the fibre. The alignment tolerance at the splicing process is presented. In particular, a low bending loss operation with low splice loss is demonstrated using the proposed technique.

  9. Fun with optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alti, Kamlesh

    2017-07-01

    Optical fibres play a very crucial role in today’s technologies. Academic courses in optical fibres start at the undergraduate level. Nevertheless, student’s curiosity towards optical fibres starts from the school level. In this paper, some fun experiments have been designed for both school and college students, which have some concrete implications at the research level also.

  10. Adjustable supercontinuum laser source with low coherence length and low timing jitter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andreana, Marco; Bertrand, Anthony; Hernandez, Yves; Leproux, Philippe; Couderc, Vincent; Hilaire, Stéphane; Huss, Guillaume; Giannone, Domenico; Tonello, Alessandro; Labruyère, Alexis; Rongeat, Nelly; Nérin, Philippe

    2010-04-01

    This paper introduces a supercontinuum (SC) laser source emitting from 400 nm to beyond 1750 nm, with adjustable pulse repetition rate (from 250 kHz to 1 MHz) and duration (from ~200 ps to ~2 ns). This device makes use of an internally-modulated 1.06 μm semiconductor laser diode as pump source. The output radiation is then amplified through a preamplifier (based on single-mode Yb-doped fibres) followed by a booster (based on a double-clad Yb-doped fibre). The double-clad fibre output is then spliced to an air-silica microstructured optical fibre (MOF). The small core diameter of the double-clad fibre allows reducing the splice loss. The strongly nonlinear propagation regime in the MOF leads to the generation of a SC extending from the violet to the nearinfrared wavelengths. On the Stokes side of the 1.06 μm pump line, i.e., in the anomalous dispersion regime, the spectrum is composed of an incoherent distribution of quasi-solitonic components. Therefore, the SC source is characterised by a low coherence length, which can be tuned by simply modifying pulse duration, that is closely related to the number of quasi-solitonic components brought into play. Finally, the internal modulation of the laser diode permits to achieve excellent temporal stability, both in terms of average power and pulse-to-pulse period.

  11. Optical Solitons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, J. R.

    2005-08-01

    1. Optical solitons in fibres: theoretical review A. Hasegawa; 2. Solitons in optical fibres: an experimental account L. F. Mollenauer; 3. All-optical long-distance soliton-based transmission systems K. Smith and L. F. Mollenauer; 4. Nonlinear propagation effects in optical fibres: numerical studies K. J. Blow and N. J. Doran; 5. Soliton-soliton interactions C. Desem and P. L. Chu; 6. Soliton amplification in erbium-doped fibre amplifiers and its application to soliton communication M. Nakazawa; 7. Nonlinear transformation of laser radiation and generation of Raman solitons in optical fibres E. M. Dianov, A. B. Grudinin, A. M. Prokhorov and V. N. Serkin; 8. Generation and compression of femtosecond solitons in optical fibers P. V. Mamyshev; 9. Optical fibre solitons in the presence of higher order dispersion and birefringence C. R. Menyuk and Ping-Kong A. Wai; 10. Dark optical solitons A. M. Weiner; 11. Soliton Raman effects J. R. Taylor; Bibliography; Index.

  12. Optical Solitons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, J. R.

    1992-04-01

    1. Optical solitons in fibres: theoretical review A. Hasegawa; 2. Solitons in optical fibres: an experimental account L. F. Mollenauer; 3. All-optical long-distance soliton-based transmission systems K. Smith and L. F. Mollenauer; 4. Nonlinear propagation effects in optical fibres: numerical studies K. J. Blow and N. J. Doran; 5. Soliton-soliton interactions C. Desem and P. L. Chu; 6. Soliton amplification in erbium-doped fibre amplifiers and its application to soliton communication M. Nakazawa; 7. Nonlinear transformation of laser radiation and generation of Raman solitons in optical fibres E. M. Dianov, A. B. Grudinin, A. M. Prokhorov and V. N. Serkin; 8. Generation and compression of femtosecond solitons in optical fibers P. V. Mamyshev; 9. Optical fibre solitons in the presence of higher order dispersion and birefringence C. R. Menyuk and Ping-Kong A. Wai; 10. Dark optical solitons A. M. Weiner; 11. Soliton Raman effects J. R. Taylor; Bibliography; Index.

  13. A micro-CMM with metrology frame for low uncertainty measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brand, Uwe; Kirchhoff, Juergen

    2005-12-01

    A conventional bridge-type coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with an opto-tactile fibre probe for the measurement of microstructures has been equipped with a metrology frame in order to reduce its measurement uncertainty. The frame contains six laser interferometers for high-precision position and guiding deviation measurements, a Zerodur cuboid with three measuring surfaces for the laser interferometers to which the fibre probe is fixed, and an invar frame which supports the measuring objects and to which the reference mirrors of the interferometers are fixed. The orthogonality and flatness deviations of the Zerodur measuring surfaces have been measured and taken into account in the equation of motion of the probing sphere. As a first performance test, the flatness of an optical flat has been measured with the fibre probe. Measuring-depth-dependent and probing-force-dependent shifts of the probing position were observed. In order to reduce the scattering of the probing points, 77 measurements were averaged for one coordinate point to be measured. This has led to measuring times of several hours for one plane and strong thermal drifts of the measured probing points.

  14. Optical fibres in the radiation environment of CERN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guillermain, E.

    2017-11-01

    CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (in Geneva, Switzerland), is home to a complex scientific instrument: the 27-kilometre Large Hadron Collider (LHC) collides beams of high-energy particles at close to the speed of light. Optical fibres are widely used at CERN, both in surface areas (e.g. for inter-building IT networks) and in the accelerator complex underground (e.g. for cryogenics, vacuum, safety systems). Optical fibres in the accelerator are exposed to mixed radiation fields (mainly composed of protons, pions, neutrons and other hadrons, gamma rays and electrons), with dose rates depending on the particular installation zone, and with radiation levels often significantly higher than those encountered in space. In the LHC and its injector chain radiation levels range from relatively low annual doses of a few Gy up to hundreds of kGy. Optical fibres suffer from Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA, expressed in dB per unit length) that affect light transmission and which depends on the irradiation conditions (e.g. dose rate, total dose, temperature). In the CERN accelerator complex, the failure of an optical link can affect the proper functionality of control or monitoring systems and induce the interruption of the accelerator operation. The qualification of optical fibres for installation in critical radiation areas is therefore crucial. Thus, all optical fibre types installed in radiation areas at CERN are subject to laboratory irradiation tests, in order to evaluate their RIA at different total dose and dose rates. This allows the selection of the appropriate optical fibre type (conventional or radiation resistant) compliant with the requirements of each installation. Irradiation tests are performed in collaboration with Fraunhofer INT (irradiation facilities and expert team in Euskirchen, Germany). Conventional off-the-shelf optical fibres can be installed for optical links exposed to low radiation levels (i.e. annual dose typically below few kGy). Nevertheless, the conventional optical fibres must be carefully qualified as a spread in RIA of factor 10 is observed among optical fibres of different types and dopants. In higher radiation areas, special radiation resistant optical fibres are installed. For total dose above 1 kGy, the RIA of these special optical fibres is at least 10 times lower than the conventional optical fibres RIA at same irradiation conditions. 2400 km of these special radiation resistant optical fibres were recently procured at CERN. As part of this procurement process, a quality assurance plan including the irradiation testing of all 65 produced batches was set up. This presentation will review the selection process of the appropriate optical fibre types to be installed in the radiation environment of CERN. The methodology for choosing the irradiation parameters for the laboratory tests will be discussed together with an overview of the RIA of different optical fibre types under several irradiation conditions.

  15. OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Bismuth-ring-doped fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zlenko, Aleksandr S.; Akhmetshin, Ural G.; Dvoirin, Vladislav V.; Bogatyrev, Vladimir A.; Firstov, Sergei V.

    2009-11-01

    A new process for bismuth doping of optical fibres is proposed in which the dopant is introduced into a thin layer surrounding the fibre core. This enables bismuth stabilisation in the silica glass, with no limitations on the core composition. In particular, the GeO2 content of the fibre core in this study is 16 mol %. Spectroscopic characterisation of such fibres and optical gain measurements suggest that the proposed approach has considerable potential for laser applications.

  16. Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Egorova, O N; Astapovich, M S; Semjonov, S L

    2016-03-31

    We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores. (fiber optics)

  17. A new helical crossed-fibre structure of β-keratin in flight feathers and its biomechanical implications.

    PubMed

    Lingham-Soliar, Theagarten; Murugan, Nelisha

    2013-01-01

    The feather aerofoil is unequalled in nature. It is comprised of a central rachis, serial paired branches or barbs, from which arise further branches, the barbules. Barbs and barbules arise from the significantly thinner lateral walls (the epicortex) of the rachis and barbs respectively, as opposed to the thicker dorsal and ventral walls (the cortex). We hypothesized a microstructural design of the epicortex that would resist the vertical or shearing stresses. The microstructures of the cortex and epicortex of the rachis and barbs were investigated in several bird species by microbe-assisted selective disassembly and conventional methods via scanning electron microscopy. We report, preeminent of the finds, a novel system of crossed fibres (ranging from ∼100-800 nm in diameter), oppositely oriented in alternate layers of the epicortex in the rachis and barbs. It represents the first cross-fibre microstructure, not only for the feather but in keratin per se. The cortex of the barbs is comprised of syncitial barbule cells, definitive structural units shown in the rachidial cortex in a related study. The structural connection between the cortex of the rachis and barbs appears uninterrupted. A new model on feather microstructure incorporating the findings here and in the related study is presented. The helical fibre system found in the integument of a diverse range of invertebrates and vertebrates has been implicated in profound functional strategies, perhaps none more so potentially than in the aerofoil microstructure of the feather here, which is central to one of the marvels of nature, bird flight.

  18. Sensitive Fibre-Based Thermoluminescence Detectors for High Resolution In-Vivo Dosimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghomeishi, Mostafa; Mahdiraji, G. Amouzad; Adikan, F. R. Mahamd; Ung, N. M.; Bradley, D. A.

    2015-08-01

    With interest in the potential of optical fibres as the basis of next-generation thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), the development of suitable forms of material and their fabrication has become a fast-growing endeavour. Present study focuses on three types of Ge-doped optical fibres with different structural arrangements and/or shapes, namely conventional cylindrical fibre, capillary fibre, and flat fibre, all fabricated using the same optical fibre preform. For doses from 0.5 to 8 Gy, obtained at electron and photon energies, standard thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of the optical fibres have been the subject of detailed investigation. The results show that in collapsing the capillary fibre into a flat shape, the TL yield is increased by a factor of 5.5, the yield being also some 3.2 times greater than that of the conventional cylindrical fibre fabricated from the same perform. This suggests a means of production of suitably sensitive TLD for in-vivo dosimeter applications. Addressing the associated defects generating luminescence from each of the optical fibres, the study encompasses analysis of the TL glow curves, with computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) and 2nd order kinetics.

  19. Sensitive Fibre-Based Thermoluminescence Detectors for High Resolution In-Vivo Dosimetry.

    PubMed

    Ghomeishi, Mostafa; Mahdiraji, G Amouzad; Adikan, F R Mahamd; Ung, N M; Bradley, D A

    2015-08-28

    With interest in the potential of optical fibres as the basis of next-generation thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), the development of suitable forms of material and their fabrication has become a fast-growing endeavour. Present study focuses on three types of Ge-doped optical fibres with different structural arrangements and/or shapes, namely conventional cylindrical fibre, capillary fibre, and flat fibre, all fabricated using the same optical fibre preform. For doses from 0.5 to 8 Gy, obtained at electron and photon energies, standard thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of the optical fibres have been the subject of detailed investigation. The results show that in collapsing the capillary fibre into a flat shape, the TL yield is increased by a factor of 5.5, the yield being also some 3.2 times greater than that of the conventional cylindrical fibre fabricated from the same perform. This suggests a means of production of suitably sensitive TLD for in-vivo dosimeter applications. Addressing the associated defects generating luminescence from each of the optical fibres, the study encompasses analysis of the TL glow curves, with computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) and 2(nd) order kinetics.

  20. Sensitive Fibre-Based Thermoluminescence Detectors for High Resolution In-Vivo Dosimetry

    PubMed Central

    Ghomeishi, Mostafa; Mahdiraji, G. Amouzad; Adikan, F. R. Mahamd; Ung, N. M.; Bradley, D. A.

    2015-01-01

    With interest in the potential of optical fibres as the basis of next-generation thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs), the development of suitable forms of material and their fabrication has become a fast-growing endeavour. Present study focuses on three types of Ge-doped optical fibres with different structural arrangements and/or shapes, namely conventional cylindrical fibre, capillary fibre, and flat fibre, all fabricated using the same optical fibre preform. For doses from 0.5 to 8 Gy, obtained at electron and photon energies, standard thermoluminescence (TL) characteristics of the optical fibres have been the subject of detailed investigation. The results show that in collapsing the capillary fibre into a flat shape, the TL yield is increased by a factor of 5.5, the yield being also some 3.2 times greater than that of the conventional cylindrical fibre fabricated from the same perform. This suggests a means of production of suitably sensitive TLD for in-vivo dosimeter applications. Addressing the associated defects generating luminescence from each of the optical fibres, the study encompasses analysis of the TL glow curves, with computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) and 2nd order kinetics. PMID:26314683

  1. Photonic bandgap single-mode optical fibre with ytterbium-doped silica glass core

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Egorova, O N; Semenov, S L; Vel'miskin, V V

    2011-01-24

    A photonic bandgap fibre with an ytterbium-doped silica glass core is fabricated and investigated. The possibility of implementing single-mode operation of such fibres in a wide spectral range at a large (above 20 {mu}m) mode field diameter makes them promising for fibre lasers and amplifiers. To ensure a high quality of the beam emerging from the fibre, particular attention is paid to increasing the optical homogeneity of the ytterbium-doped core glass. (optical fibres)

  2. A Proposal to Develop and Test a Fibre-Optic Coupled Solar Thermal Propulsion System for Microsatellites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-03-01

    high numerical aperture fibre optics. Applying fibre optics to STP allows the solar concentrator mirror to be mechanically decoupled from the solar...Applying fibre optics to STP allows the solar concentrator mirror to be mechanically decoupled from the solar heat exchanger as well as granting...concentration is achieved via an optical concentrating system, such as a series of lenses or mirrors . This concentrated sunlight impinges on a blackbody

  3. Nonlinear Optics and Solitons in Photonic Crystal Fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skryabin, Dmitry V.; Wadsworth, William J.

    The fibre optics revolution in communication technologies followed the 1950's demonstration of the glass fibres with dielectric cladding [1]. Transmission applications of fibre optics have become a dominant modern day technology not least because nonlinearities present in - or introduced into - glass and enhanced by the tight focusing of the fibre modes allow for numerous light processing techniques, such as amplification, frequency conversion, pulse shaping, and many others. For these reasons, and because of the rich fundamental physics behind it, nonlinear fibre optics has become a blossoming discipline in its own right [1]. The 1990's witnessed another important development in fibre optics. Once again it came from a new approach to the fibre cladding, comprising a periodic pattern of air holes separated by glass membranes forming a photonic crystal structure [2, 3]. This prompted the name Photonic Crystal Fibres (PCFs). The fascinating story behind the invention of PCF and research into various fibre designs can be found, e.g., in [4]. Our aim here is to review the role played by PCFs in nonlinear and quantum optics, which is becoming the mainstream of the PCF related research and applications. Our focus will be on the areas where PCFs have brought to life effects and applications which were previously difficult, impossible to observe or simply not thought about.

  4. Smooth light extraction in lighting optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez-Balbuena, A. A.; Vazquez-Molini, D.; Garcia-Botella, A.; Martinez-Anton, J. C.; Bernabeu, E.

    2011-10-01

    Recent advances in LED technology have relegated the use of optical fibre for general lighting, but there are several applications where it can be used as scanners lighting systems, daylight, cultural heritage lighting, sensors, explosion risky spaces, etc. Nowadays the use of high intensity LED to inject light in optical fibre increases the possibility of conjugate fibre + LED for lighting applications. New optical fibres of plastic materials, high core diameter up to 12.6 mm transmit light with little attenuation in the visible spectrum but there is no an efficient and controlled way to extract the light during the fibre path. Side extracting fibres extracts all the light on 2π angle so is not well suited for controlled lighting. In this paper we present an extraction system for mono-filament optical fibre which provides efficient and controlled light distribution. These lighting parameters can be controlled with an algorithm that set the position, depth and shape of the optical extraction system. The extraction system works by total internal reflection in the core of the fibre with high efficiency and low cost. A 10 m length prototype is made with 45° sectional cuts in the fibre core as extraction system. The system is tested with a 1W white LED illuminator in one side.

  5. Evolution of optical fibre cabling components at CERN: Performance and technology trends analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shoaie, Mohammad Amin; Meroli, Stefano; Machado, Simao; Ricci, Daniel

    2018-05-01

    CERN optical fibre infrastructure has been growing constantly over the past decade due to ever increasing connectivity demands. The provisioning plan and fibre installation of this vast laboratory is performed by Fibre Optics and Cabling Section at Engineering Department. In this paper we analyze the procurement data for essential fibre cabling components during a five-year interval to extract the existing trends and anticipate future directions. The analysis predicts high contribution of LC connector and an increasing usage of multi-fibre connectors. It is foreseen that single-mode fibres become the main fibre type for mid and long-range installations while air blowing would be the major installation technique. Performance assessment of various connectors shows that the expanded beam ferrule is favored for emerging on-board optical interconnections thanks to its scalable density and stable return-loss.

  6. Packaging and Mounting of In-Fibre Bragg Grating Arrays for Structural Health Monitoring of Large Structures

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-10-01

    33 Abbreviations CFRP Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer FBG Fibre Bragg Grating FGI Fiberglass International FO... Fibre Optic FOS Fibre Optic Sensor GFRP Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer HDPE High Density Polyethylene LED Light Emitting Diode MHC Mine Hunter...subsequent paragraphs. An operational loads monitoring system for wind turbine blades was demonstrated [7] using FBGs surface-mounted onto glass fibre

  7. Stimulated Brillouin Scattering: its Generation and Applications in Optical Fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Culverhouse, David

    1992-01-01

    Available from UMI in association with The British Library. In the work presented in this thesis, the generation of stimulated Brillouin scattering and its applications in optical fibres is theoretically and experimentally investigated. The study pursues three special cases: (i) Backward stimulated Brillouin scattering in long fibre lengths; (ii) Backward stimulated Brillouin scattering in high finesse all fibre ring resonators; (iii) Forward stimulated Brillouin scattering in dual moded single core fibres. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) occurs for relatively low input powers in monomode optical fibres, as the power density is very high because of the relatively small core size. For applications such as optical communications, SBS is seen as a potentially deleterious effect because it can limit the maximum optical power transmitted by the fibre and hence decrease the distance between repeaters. SBS, however, can also be used to advantage in optical fibres, for example to produce amplification. In this thesis the comprehensive study of SBS in relation to other non-linear scattering mechanisms in optical fibres leads to the derivation of explicit definitions for the Brillouin gain and the Brillouin threshold. The study of SBS in high finesse all fibre ring resonators also demonstrates how threshold powers can be reduced, typically, from milliwatts observed in long fibre lengths to microwatts. Because Brillouin scattering is primarily a result of the interaction of the incident optical beam with spontaneously generated (thermal) fluctuations in the density of the medium, the spectral features show a considerable variation with temperature thus providing a mechanism with sufficient sensitivity to realise tunable microwave generation and frequency shifting devices. Finally, the observation of stimulated Brillouin scattering in a forward direction (FSBS) in dual moded single-core fibre is also reported. Frequency shifts in the order of 17MHz are observed in optical fibre supporting LP_ {01} and LP_{11} modes at 514.5nm. The phenomenon is examined here in detail and the governing differential equations of the three wave parametric process (involving pump/laser, Brillouin signal and acoustic flexural wave phonon) is derived and solved. FSBS is possible because, although the overlap integral between a fibre flexural mode and the light is small, the phonon lifetime is much longer than in conventional SBS. FSBS may also be the first example of a non-linear effect which is enhanced by increasing the optical mode area at constant pump power.

  8. Thermal effects on an embedded grating sensor in an FRP structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lau, Kin-tak; Yuan, Libo; Zhou, Li-min

    2001-08-01

    Much research has been carried out in the field of using optical fibre sensors as internal strain and temperature measuring devices for advanced composite structures in recent years. The specific application is the use of embedded optical fibre sensors for smart composite reinforcement for strain monitoring in an innovative civil engineering structure, particularly for the structure after rehabilitation. Researchers have also paid attention to using the optical fibre sensor for monitoring the condition of composite materials during manufacturing and curing processes. However, heat induced in the curing process may influence the accuracy of measurement and eventuate in causing damage at the bond interface between the optical fibre and the surrounding matrix material because of the different thermal properties of silica fibre and composite materials. In this paper, a simple theoretical model is introduced to determine the interfacial properties of the embedded optical fibre system in composite laminates with different values of the coefficient of thermal expansion under different temperature environments. A finite-element method is used to compare the result from the theoretical prediction. The results show that the maximum shear stress in the coating layer decreases with increasing surrounding temperature when the optical fibre is embedded into carbon and Kevlar fibre composites. In contrast, increasing the temperature when the optical fibre is embedded into glass fibre composite results in the increase of maximum shear stress of the material. The compaction pressure distribution along the circumference of the coating layer also varies with temperature.

  9. A technique for detecting and locating polarisation nonuniformities in an anisotropic optical fibre

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burdin, V V; Konstantinov, Yurii A; Pervadchuk, Vladimir P

    2013-06-30

    One of the most important requirements for optical fibres as waveguiding media is uniformity. Polarisation-maintaining anisotropic fibres contain a special type of nonuniformity, which leads to polarisation cross-talk: optical power is transferred from one polarisation mode to the orthogonal mode. In this paper, we report a technique for detecting and locating such nonuniformities in a PANDA anisotropic single-mode fibre using polarised reflectometry. (fiber optics)

  10. Ballistic and snake photon imaging for locating optical endomicroscopy fibres

    PubMed Central

    Tanner, M. G.; Choudhary, T. R.; Craven, T. H.; Mills, B.; Bradley, M.; Henderson, R. K.; Dhaliwal, K.; Thomson, R. R.

    2017-01-01

    We demonstrate determination of the location of the distal-end of a fibre-optic device deep in tissue through the imaging of ballistic and snake photons using a time resolved single-photon detector array. The fibre was imaged with centimetre resolution, within clinically relevant settings and models. This technique can overcome the limitations imposed by tissue scattering in optically determining the in vivo location of fibre-optic medical instruments. PMID:28966848

  11. Image transport through a disordered optical fibre mediated by transverse Anderson localization.

    PubMed

    Karbasi, Salman; Frazier, Ryan J; Koch, Karl W; Hawkins, Thomas; Ballato, John; Mafi, Arash

    2014-02-25

    Transverse Anderson localization of light allows localized optical-beam-transport through a transversely disordered and longitudinally invariant medium. Its successful implementation in disordered optical fibres recently resulted in the propagation of localized beams of radii comparable to that of conventional optical fibres. Here we demonstrate optical image transport using transverse Anderson localization of light. The image transport quality obtained in the polymer disordered optical fibre is comparable to or better than some of the best commercially available multicore image fibres with less pixelation and higher contrast. It is argued that considerable improvement in image transport quality can be obtained in a disordered fibre made from a glass matrix with near wavelength-size randomly distributed air-holes with an air-hole fill-fraction of 50%. Our results open the way to device-level implementation of the transverse Anderson localization of light with potential applications in biological and medical imaging.

  12. Pure chiral optical fibres.

    PubMed

    Poladian, L; Straton, M; Docherty, A; Argyros, A

    2011-01-17

    We investigate the properties of optical fibres made from chiral materials, in which a contrast in optical activity forms the waveguide, rather than a contrast in the refractive index; we refer to such structures as pure chiral fibres. We present a mathematical formulation for solving the modes of circularly symmetric examples of such fibres and examine the guidance and polarisation properties of pure chiral step-index, Bragg and photonic crystal fibre designs. Their behaviour is shown to differ for left- and right-hand circular polarisation, allowing circular polarisations to be isolated and/or guided by different mechanisms, as well as differing from equivalent non-chiral fibres. The strength of optical activity required in each case is quantified.

  13. Carcass composition and breast muscle microstructure in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris L.) of different origin.

    PubMed

    Bernacki, Zenon; Bawej, Małgorzata; Kokoszyński, Dariusz

    2012-01-01

    Evaluation of dressing percentage and postmortem traits in 14-week-old white and grey guinea fowl, extended with evaluation of breast muscle microstructure, was the aim of the study. Subjects were two varieties of guinea fowl kept in an environmentally controlled house. Birds received complete commercial feeds. At 14 weeks of rearing, their whole carcasses were dissected postmortem. Diameters and percentages of white (alphaW) and red muscle fibres (betaR) were determined based on histological analysis of the musculus pectoralis superficialis. Similar dressing percentage was found in both guinea fowl varieties. At 14 weeks of age, grey guinea fowl had greater body weight, and weight and proportion of leg muscles and wings compared to white guinea fowl. Females of the white variety had greater weight of breast muscles than males. Breast muscle microstructure showed significantly (P < or = 0.05) greater content and diameter of white fibres in grey guinea fowl, and of red fibres in white guinea fowl.

  14. Influence of fibre design and curvature on crosstalk in multi-core fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Egorova, O. N.; Astapovich, M. S.; Melnikov, L. A.; Salganskii, M. Yu; Mishkin, V. P.; Nishchev, K. N.; Semjonov, S. L.; Dianov, E. M.

    2016-03-01

    We have studied the influence of cross-sectional structure and bends on optical cross-talk in a multicore fibre. A reduced refractive index layer produced between the cores of such fibre with a small centre-to-centre spacing between neighbouring cores (27 μm) reduces optical cross-talk by 20 dB. The cross-talk level achieved, 30 dB per kilometre of the length of the multicore fibre, is acceptable for a number of applications where relatively small lengths of fibre are needed. Moreover, a significant decrease in optical cross-talk has been ensured by reducing the winding diameter of multicore fibres with identical cores.

  15. Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications.

    PubMed

    Poeggel, Sven; Tosi, Daniele; Duraibabu, DineshBabu; Leen, Gabriel; McGrath, Deirdre; Lewis, Elfed

    2015-07-15

    This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas.

  16. A review of materials engineering in silicon-based optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Healy, Noel; Gibson, Ursula; Peacock, Anna C.

    2018-02-01

    Semiconductor optical fibre technologies have grown rapidly in the last decade and there are now a range of production and post-processing techniques that allow for a vast degree of control over the core material's optoelectronic properties. These methodologies and the unique optical fibre geometry provide an exciting platform for materials engineering and fibres can now be produced with single crystal cores, low optical losses, tunable strain, and inscribable phase composition. This review discusses the state-of-the-art regarding the production of silicon optical fibres in amorphous and crystalline form and then looks at the post-processing techniques and the improved material quality and new functionality that they afford.

  17. Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications

    PubMed Central

    Poeggel, Sven; Tosi, Daniele; Duraibabu, DineshBabu; Leen, Gabriel; McGrath, Deirdre; Lewis, Elfed

    2015-01-01

    This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas. PMID:26184228

  18. Advanced materials and techniques for fibre-optic sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henderson, Philip J.

    2014-06-01

    Fibre-optic monitoring systems came of age in about 1999 upon the emergence of the world's first significant commercialising company - a spin-out from the UK's collaborative MAST project. By using embedded fibre-optic technology, the MAST project successfully measured transient strain within high-performance composite yacht masts. Since then, applications have extended from smart composites into civil engineering, energy, military, aerospace, medicine and other sectors. Fibre-optic sensors come in various forms, and may be subject to embedment, retrofitting, and remote interrogation. The unique challenges presented by each implementation require careful scrutiny before widespread adoption can take place. Accordingly, various aspects of design and reliability are discussed spanning a range of representative technologies that include resonant microsilicon structures, MEMS, Bragg gratings, advanced forms of spectroscopy, and modern trends in nanotechnology. Keywords: Fibre-optic sensors, fibre Bragg gratings, MEMS, MOEMS, nanotechnology, plasmon.

  19. Electron irradiation response on Ge and Al-doped SiO 2 optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yaakob, N. H.; Wagiran, H.; Hossain, I.; Ramli, A. T.; Bradley, D. A.; Hashim, S.; Ali, H.

    2011-05-01

    This paper describes the thermoluminescence response, sensitivity, stability and reproducibility of SiO 2 optical fibres with various electron energies and doses. The TL materials that comprise Al- and Ge-doped silica fibres were used in this experiment. The TL results are compared with those of the commercially available TLD-100. The doped SiO 2 optical fibres and TLD-100 are placed in a solid phantom and irradiated with 6, 9 and 12 MeV electron beams at doses ranging from 0.2 to 4.0 Gy using the LINAC at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It was found that the commercially available Al- and Ge-doped optical fibres have a linear dose-TL signal relationship. The intensity of TL response of Ge-doped fibre is markedly greater than that of the Al-doped fibre.

  20. Interferometric fibre-optic curvature sensing for structural, directional vibration measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kissinger, Thomas; Chehura, Edmon; James, Stephen W.; Tatam, Ralph P.

    2017-06-01

    Dynamic fibre-optic curvature sensing using fibre segment interferometry is demonstrated using a cost-effective rangeresolved interferometry interrogation system. Differential strain measurements from four fibre strings, each containing four fibre segments of gauge length 20 cm, allow the inference of lateral vibrations as well as the direction of the vibration of a cantilever test object. Dynamic tip displacement resolutions in the micrometre range over a 21 kHz interferometric bandwidth demonstrate the suitability of this approach for highly sensitive fibre-optic directional vibration measurements, complementing existing laser vibrometry techniques by removing the need for side access to the structure under test.

  1. Optical fibre luminescence sensor for real-time LDR brachytherapy dosimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woulfe, P.; Sullivan, F. J.; O'Keeffe, S.

    2016-05-01

    An optical fibre sensor for monitoring low dose radiation is presented. The sensor is based on a scintillation material embedded within the optical fibre core, which emits visible light when exposed to low level ionising radiation. The incident level of ionising radiation can be determined by analysing the optical emission. An optical fibre sensor is presented, based on radioluminescence whereby radiation sensitive scintillation material, terbium doped gadolinium oxysulphide (Gd2O2S:Tb), is embedded in a cavity of 250μm of a 500μm plastic optical fibre. The sensor is designed for in-vivo monitoring of the radiation dose during radio-active seed implantation for brachytherapy, in prostate cancer treatment, providing oncologists with real-time information of the radiation dose to the target area and/or nearby critical structures. The radiation from the brachytherapy seeds causes emission of visible light from the scintillation material through the process of radioluminescence, which penetrates the fibre, propagating along the optical fibre for remote detection using a multi-pixel photon counter. The sensor demonstrates a high sensitivity to Iodine-125, the radioactive source most commonly used in brachytherapy for treating prostate cancer.

  2. Optical fibre luminescence sensor for real-time LDR brachytherapy dosimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woulfe, P.; O'Keeffe, S.; Sullivan, F. J.

    2018-02-01

    An optical fibre sensor for monitoring low dose radiation is presented. The sensor is based on a scintillation material embedded within the optical fibre core, which emits visible light when exposed to low level ionising radiation. The incident level of ionising radiation can be determined by analysing the optical emission. An optical fibre sensor is developed, based on radioluminescence whereby radiation sensitive scintillation material, terbium doped gadolinium oxysulphide (Gd2O2S:Tb), is embedded in a cavity of 700μm of a 1mm plastic optical fibre. The sensor is designed for in-vivo monitoring of the radiation dose during radio-active seed implantation for low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy, in prostate cancer treatment, providing radiation oncologists with real-time information of the radiation dose to the target area and/or nearby organs at risk (OARs). The radiation from the brachytherapy seeds causes emission of visible light from the scintillation material through the process of radioluminescence, which penetrates the fibre, propagating along the optical fibre for remote detection using a multi-pixel photon counter. The sensor demonstrates a high sensitivity to 0.397mCi of Iodine125, the radioactive source most commonly used in brachytherapy for treating prostate cancer.

  3. The microstructure and tensile properties of extruded melt-spun ribbons of iron-rich B2 FeAl

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baker, I.; Gaydosh, D. J.

    1987-01-01

    The microstructure of extruded rods of iron-rich FeAl(B2-structure), as characterized by TEM, SEM, optical microscopy and x-ray diffractometry, consisted of elongated grains with a 111-line fibre texture containing a high dislocation density. Numerous oxide particles were found, mostly in lines which reflected the matrix flow during extrusion. In addition, some large inclusions were present. Tensile testing of annealed, relatively dislocation-free specimens as a function of increasing temperature found increasing ductility up to 900K, above which a ductility drop occurred accompanied by a change in fracture mode, from transgranular cleavage to intergranular fracture. The yield strength, which was independent of temperature up to 800K (at about 500MPa), also decreased rapidly as diffusion became more important. The predominant slip vector changed from 111-line to 100-line around 700K.

  4. A Dual Sensor for pH and Hydrogen Peroxide Using Polymer-Coated Optical Fibre Tips.

    PubMed

    Purdey, Malcolm S; Thompson, Jeremy G; Monro, Tanya M; Abell, Andrew D; Schartner, Erik P

    2015-12-17

    This paper demonstrates the first single optical fibre tip probe for concurrent detection of both hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration and pH of a solution. The sensor is constructed by embedding two fluorophores: carboxyperoxyfluor-1 (CPF1) and seminaphtharhodafluor-2 (SNARF2) within a polymer matrix located on the tip of the optical fibre. The functionalised fibre probe reproducibly measures pH, and is able to accurately detect H₂O₂ over a biologically relevant concentration range. This sensor offers potential for non-invasive detection of pH and H₂O₂ in biological environments using a single optical fibre.

  5. Studying focal ratio degradation of optical fibres with a core size of 50 μm for astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliveira, A. C.; de Oliveira, L. S.; dos Santos, J. B.

    2005-01-01

    Along with the spectral attenuation properties, the focal ratio degradation (FRD) properties of optical fibres are the most important for instrumental applications in astronomy. We present a special study about the FRD of optical fibres with a core size of 50 μm to evaluate the effects of stress when mounting the fibre. Optical fibres like this were used to construct the Eucalyptus integral field unit. This fibre is very susceptible to the FRD effects, especially after the removal of the acrylate buffer. This operation is sometimes necessary to allow close packing of the fibres at the input to the spectrograph. Without the acrylate buffer, the protection of the cladding and core of the fibre may be easily damaged. In the near future, fibres of this size will be used to build the Southern Observatory for Astronomical Research (SOAR) integral field unit spectrograph (SIFS) and other instruments. It is important to understand the correct procedure which minimizes any increase in FRD during the construction of the instrument.

  6. All-Optical Fibre Networks For Coal Mines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zientkiewicz, Jacek K.

    1987-09-01

    A topic of the paper is fiber-optic integrated network (FOIN) suited to the most hostile environments existing in coal mines. The use of optical fibres for transmission of mine instrumentation data offers the prospects of improved safety and immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI). The feasibility of optically powered sensors has opened up new opportunities for research into optical signal processing architectures. This article discusses a new fibre-optic sensor network involving a time domain multiplexing(TDM)scheme and optical signal processing techniques. The pros and cons of different FOIN topologies with respect to coal mine applications are considered. The emphasis has been placed on a recently developed all-optical fibre network using spread spectrum code division multiple access (COMA) techniques. The all-optical networks have applications in explosive environments where electrical isolation is required.

  7. A Micro-Computed Tomography Technique to Study the Quality of Fibre Optics Embedded in Composite Materials

    PubMed Central

    Chiesura, Gabriele; Luyckx, Geert; Voet, Eli; Lammens, Nicolas; Van Paepegem, Wim; Degrieck, Joris; Dierick, Manuel; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Vanderniepen, Pieter; Sulejmani, Sanne; Sonnenfeld, Camille; Geernaert, Thomas; Berghmans, Francis

    2015-01-01

    Quality of embedment of optical fibre sensors in carbon fibre-reinforced polymers plays an important role in the resultant properties of the composite, as well as for the correct monitoring of the structure. Therefore, availability of a tool able to check the optical fibre sensor-composite interaction becomes essential. High-resolution 3D X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography, or Micro-CT, is a relatively new non-destructive inspection technique which enables investigations of the internal structure of a sample without actually compromising its integrity. In this work the feasibility of inspecting the position, the orientation and, more generally, the quality of the embedment of an optical fibre sensor in a carbon fibre reinforced laminate at unit cell level have been proven. PMID:25961383

  8. Microstructure representations for sound absorbing fibrous media: 3D and 2D multiscale modelling and experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zieliński, Tomasz G.

    2017-11-01

    The paper proposes and investigates computationally-efficient microstructure representations for sound absorbing fibrous media. Three-dimensional volume elements involving non-trivial periodic arrangements of straight fibres are examined as well as simple two-dimensional cells. It has been found that a simple 2D quasi-representative cell can provide similar predictions as a volume element which is in general much more geometrically accurate for typical fibrous materials. The multiscale modelling allowed to determine the effective speeds and damping of acoustic waves propagating in such media, which brings up a discussion on the correlation between the speed, penetration range and attenuation of sound waves. Original experiments on manufactured copper-wire samples are presented and the microstructure-based calculations of acoustic absorption are compared with the corresponding experimental results. In fact, the comparison suggested the microstructure modifications leading to representations with non-uniformly distributed fibres.

  9. Maximizing the optical network capacity

    PubMed Central

    Bayvel, Polina; Maher, Robert; Liga, Gabriele; Shevchenko, Nikita A.; Lavery, Domaniç; Killey, Robert I.

    2016-01-01

    Most of the digital data transmitted are carried by optical fibres, forming the great part of the national and international communication infrastructure. The information-carrying capacity of these networks has increased vastly over the past decades through the introduction of wavelength division multiplexing, advanced modulation formats, digital signal processing and improved optical fibre and amplifier technology. These developments sparked the communication revolution and the growth of the Internet, and have created an illusion of infinite capacity being available. But as the volume of data continues to increase, is there a limit to the capacity of an optical fibre communication channel? The optical fibre channel is nonlinear, and the intensity-dependent Kerr nonlinearity limit has been suggested as a fundamental limit to optical fibre capacity. Current research is focused on whether this is the case, and on linear and nonlinear techniques, both optical and electronic, to understand, unlock and maximize the capacity of optical communications in the nonlinear regime. This paper describes some of them and discusses future prospects for success in the quest for capacity. PMID:26809572

  10. Determination of pulse energy dependence for skin denaturation from 585nm fibre laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mujica-Ascencio, S.; Velazquez-Gonzalez, J. S.; Mujica-Ascencio, C.; Alvarez-Chavez, J. A.

    2014-05-01

    In this paper, simulation and mathematical analysis for the determination of pulse energy from a Q-switched Yb3+-doped fibre laser is required in Port Wine Stain (PWS) treatment. The pulse energy depends on average power, gain, volume, repetition rate and pulse duration. In some treatments such as Selective Photothermolysis (SP), the peak power at the end of the optical fibre and pulse duration can be obtained and modified via a cavity design. For that purpose, a 585nm optical fibre laser full design which considers all of the above besides the average losses through the optical devices proposed for the design and the Ytterbium optical fibre overall gain will be presented.

  11. Modified sensing element of a fibre-optic current sensor based on a low-eigenellipticity spun fibre

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Przhiyalkovsky, Ya V; Morshnev, S K; Starostin, N I

    2014-10-31

    We have proposed and investigated a modified sensing element of a spun fibre current sensor for the case when the beat length of the built-in linear birefringence of the fibre is equal to or less than the spin pitch of its helical structure. The proposed configuration makes it possible to restore the interferometer contrast reduced because of the decrease in the ellipticity of the wavelength-averaged polarisation state of radiation propagating in such spun fibre. The modified sensing element contains two polarisation state converters: one, located at the spun fibre input, produces polarisation with ellipticity equal to the eigenellipticity of themore » fibre, and the other ensures conversion of the elliptical polarisation to an orthogonal one through mirror reflection at the fibre output. We have also demonstrated that the magneto-optical sensitivity decreases slightly for the analysed spectrum-averaged parameters of the polarisation state of radiation in the spun fibre. Experimental data lend support to the theoretical predictions. (fibre-optic sensors)« less

  12. Polarization domain walls in optical fibres as topological bits for data transmission

    PubMed Central

    Gilles, M.; Bony, P-Y.; Garnier, J.; Picozzi, A.; Guasoni, M.; Fatome, J.

    2016-01-01

    Domain walls are topological defects which occur at symmetry-breaking phase transitions. While domain walls have been intensively studied in ferromagnetic materials, where they nucleate at the boundary of neighbouring regions of oppositely aligned magnetic dipoles, their equivalent in optics have not been fully explored so far. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the existence of a universal class of polarization domain walls in the form of localized polarization knots in conventional optical fibres. We exploit their binding properties for optical data transmission beyond the Kerr limits of normally dispersive fibres. In particular, we demonstrate how trapping energy in well-defined train of polarization domain walls allows undistorted propagation of polarization knots at a rate of 28 GHz along a 10 km length of normally dispersive optical fibre. These results constitute the first experimental observation of kink-antikink solitary wave propagation in nonlinear fibre optics. PMID:28168000

  13. CARMENES in SPIE 2014. Building a fibre link for CARMENES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stürmer, J.; Stahl, O.; Schwab, C.; Seifert, W.; Quirrenbach, A.; Amado, P. J.; Ribas, I.; Reiners, A.; Caballero, J. A.

    2014-07-01

    Optical fibres have successfully been used to couple high-resolution spectrographs to telescopes for many years. As they allow the instrument to be placed in a stable and isolated location, they decouple the spectrograph from environmental influences. Fibres also provide a substantial increase in stability of the input illumination of the spectrograph, which makes them a key optical element of the two high-resolution spectrographs of CARMENES. The optical properties of appropriate fibres are investigated, especially their scrambling and focal ratio degradation (FRD) behaviour. In the laboratory the output illumination of various fibres is characterized and different methods to increase the scrambling of the fibre link are tested and compared. In particular, a combination of fibres with different core shapes shows a very good scrambling performance. The near-field (NF) shows an extremely low sensitivity to the exact coupling conditions of the fibre. However, small changes in the far-field (FF) can still be seen. Related optical simulations of the stability performance of the two spectrographs are presented. The simulations focus on the influence of the non-perfect illumination stabilization in the far-field of the fibre on the radial velocity stability of the spectrographs. We use ZEMAX models of the spectrographs to simulate how the barycentres of the spots move depending on the FF illumination pattern and therefore how the radial velocity is affected by a variation of the spectrograph illumination. This method allows to establish a quantitative link between the results of the measurements of the optical properties of fibres on the one hand and the radial velocity precision on the other. The results provide a strong indication that 1ms?1 precision can be reached using a circular-octagonal fibre link even without the use of an optical double scrambler, which has successfully been used in other high-resolution spectrographs. Given the typical throughput of an optical double scrambler of about 75% to 85 %, our solution allows for a substantially higher throughput of the system.

  14. 4MOST optical system: presentation and design details

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azaïs, Nicolas; Frey, Steffen; Bellido, Olga; Winkler, Roland

    2017-09-01

    The 4-meter Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (4MOST) is a wide-field, high-multiplex spectroscopic survey facility under development for the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) 4 meter telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) at Cerro Paranal. The objective of 4MOST is to enable the simultaneous spectroscopy of a significant number of targets within a 2.5° diameter field of view, to allow high-efficiency all-sky spectroscopic surveys. A wide field corrector (WFC) is needed to couple targets across the 2.5° field diameter with the exit pupil concentric with the spherical focal surface where 2400 fibres are configured by a fibre positioner (AESOP). For optimal fibre optic coupling and active optics wavefront sensing the WFC will correct optical aberrations of the primary (M1) and secondary (M2) VISTA optics across the full field of view and provide a well-defined and stable focal surface to which the acquisition/guiding sensors, wavefront sensors, and fibre positioner are interfaced. It will also compensate for the effects of atmospheric dispersion, allowing good chromatic coupling of stellar images with the fibre apertures over a wide range of telescope zenith angles (ZD). The fibres feed three spectrographs; two thirds of the fibres will feed two low resolution spectrographs and the remaining 812 fibres will feed a high-resolution spectrograph. The three spectrographs are fixed-configuration with three channels each. We present the 4MOST optical system together with optical simulation of subsystems.

  15. Metal-coated Bragg grating reflecting fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chamorovskiy, Yu. K.; Butov, O. V.; Kolosovskiy, A. O.; Popov, S. M.; Voloshin, V. V.; Vorob'ev, I. L.; Vyatkin, M. Yu.

    2017-03-01

    High-temperature optical fibres (OF) with fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) arrays written over a long length and in-line metal coating have been made for the first time. The optical parameters of the FBG arrays were tested by the optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) method in a wide temperature range, demonstrating no degradation in reflection at heating up to 600 °C for a fibre with Al coating. The mechanical strength of the developed fibre was practically the same as "ordinary" OF with similar coating, showing the absence of the influence of FBG writing process on fibre strength. Further experiments are necessary to evaluate the possibility of further increases in the operational temperature range.

  16. High resolution group refractive index measurement by broadband supercontinuum interferometry and wavelet-transform analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reolon, David; Jacquot, Maxime; Verrier, Isabelle; Brun, Gérald; Veillas, Colette

    2006-12-01

    In this paper we propose group refractive index measurement with a spectral interferometric set-up using a broadband supercontinuum generated in an air-silica Microstructured Optical Fibre (MOF) pumped with a picosecond pulsed microchip laser. This source authorizes high fringes visibility for dispersion measurements by Spectroscopic Analysis of White Light Interferograms (SAWLI). Phase calculation is assumed by a wavelet transform procedure combined with a curve fit of the recorded channelled spectrum intensity. This approach provides high resolution and absolute group refractive index measurements along one line of the sample by recording a single 2D spectral interferogram without mechanical scanning.

  17. Simultaneous transfer of optical frequency and time over 306 km long-haul optical fibre link

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hucl, Vaclav; Cizek, Martin; Pravdova, Lenka; Rerucha, Simon; Hrabina, Jan; Mikel, Bretislav; Smotlacha, Vladimir; Vojtech, Josef; Lazar, Josef; Cip, Ondrej

    2016-12-01

    Optical fibre links for distributing optical frequencies and time stamps were researched and experimentally tested in the past fifteen years. They have been used mainly for stability comparison of experimental optical clocks. But recent development puts demands on a technology transfer from laboratory experiments to the real industry. The remote calibration of interrogators of Fibre Bragg Grating strain sensory networks is one of important examples. The first step of the adoption the time and frequency broadcasting should be the drop-out free long-term operation of this technology between research laboratories connected via long-haul fibre links. We present a 306 km long-haul optical fibre link between the cities of Prague and Brno in the Czech Republic where a coherent transfer of stable optical frequency and a stable time signal has been firstly demonstrated. The link between ISI CAS Brno and CESNET Prague uses an internet communication fibre where a window of 1540-1546 nm is dedicated for the coherent transfer and 1PPS signal. The link is equipped with 6 bidirectional EDFA amplifiers. The optical frequency standard based on the highly-coherent laser Koheras Adjustik working at 1540.5 nm and stabilized with a saturation absorption spectroscopy technique was used for the coherent wave transfer. The suppression of the Doppler shift induced by the optical fibre was based on an accoustooptical modulator with a servo-loop including a fast PID controller processing the beat-note frequency given by mixing of the Adjustik laser (Brno) and the reflected frequency of this laser from the far end of 306 km long-haul fibre link (Prague). We verified the Doppler shift suppression for the coherent wave with a measuring method analysing the transport delay of the 1PPS signal.

  18. Effect of asymmetric hot rolling on texture, microstructure and magnetic properties in a non-grain oriented electrical steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, S.; Butler, J.; Melzer, S.

    2014-11-01

    In this study, both asymmetric hot rolling (AHR) and conventional hot rolling (CHR) were carried out to study the effect of the hot rolling conditions on the evolution of the texture and microstructure in a non-grain oriented (NGO) steel. The microstructure and texture in the subsequent processing stages were characterised and related to the final magnetic properties. The results show that AHR, compared with CHR, tends to homogenise texture through thickness of the hot band strips. AHR results in a higher fraction of the θ-fibre ({0 0 1}) and a lower fraction of the γ-fibre ({1 1 1}) in the hot band strips, which are favourable features in relation to the magnetic properties of the strip. However, the favourable features observed in hot rolled AHR strips are eliminated after cold rolling and annealing. Contrarily, the required θ-fibre is decreased and the unwanted γ-fibre is intensified in the AHR sheet after cold rolling and their strength is maintained in the subsequent process steps. On the other hand, AHR does not produce a discernible change in the grain size in the hot band annealed strip and in the final annealed sheet, except that the magnetic anisotropy in the AHR is improved after skin pass and extra annealing as the result of the redistribution of the texture components within the θ-fibre, no significant improvement of the magnetic properties as a direct consequence of the application of asymmetric hot rolling has been observed under the current AHR experimental conditions.

  19. Phase noise cancellation in polarisation-maintaining fibre links

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rauf, B.; Vélez López, M. C.; Thoumany, P.; Pizzocaro, M.; Calonico, D.

    2018-03-01

    The distribution of ultra-narrow linewidth laser radiation is an integral part of many challenging metrological applications. Changes in the optical pathlength induced by environmental disturbances compromise the stability and accuracy of optical fibre networks distributing the laser light and call for active phase noise cancellation. Here we present a laboratory scale optical (at 578 nm) fibre network featuring all polarisation maintaining fibres in a setup with low optical powers available and tracking voltage-controlled oscillators implemented. The stability and accuracy of this system reach performance levels below 1 × 10-19 after 10 000 s of averaging.

  20. Serum protein measurement using a tapered fluorescent fibre-optic evanescent wave-based biosensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preejith, P. V.; Lim, C. S.; Chia, T. F.

    2006-12-01

    A novel method to measure the total serum protein concentration is described in this paper. The method is based on the principles of fibre-optic evanescent wave spectroscopy. The biosensor applies a fluorescent dye-immobilized porous glass coating on a multi-mode optical fibre. The evanescent wave's intensity at the fibre-optic core-cladding interface is used to monitor the protein-induced changes in the sensor element. The sensor offers a rapid, single-step method for quantifying protein concentrations without destroying the sample. This unique sensing method presents a sensitive and accurate platform for the quantification of protein.

  1. Preliminary research on monitoring the durability of concrete subjected to sulfate attack with optical fibre Raman spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yue, Yanfei; Bai, Yun; Basheer, P. A. Muhammed; Boland, John J.; Wang, Jing Jing

    2013-04-01

    Formation of ettringite and gypsum from sulfate attack together with carbonation and chloride ingress have been considered as the most serious deterioration mechanisms of concrete structures. Although Electrical Resistance Sensors and Fibre Optic Chemical Sensors could be used to monitoring the latter two mechanisms in situ, currently there is no system for monitoring the deterioration mechanisms of sulfate attack and hence still needs to be developed. In this paper, a preliminary study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of monitoring the sulfate attack with optical fibre Raman spectroscopy through characterizing the ettringite and gypsum formed in deteriorated cementitious materials under an `optical fibre excitation + spectroscopy objective collection' configuration. Bench-mounted Raman spectroscopy analysis was also used to validate the spectrum obtained from the fibre-objective configuration. The results showed that the expected Raman bands of ettringite and gypsum in the sulfate attacked cement paste have been clearly identified by the optical fibre Raman spectroscopy and are in good agreement with those identified from bench-mounted Raman spectroscopy. Therefore, based on these preliminary results, there is a good potential of developing an optical fibre Raman spectroscopy-based system for monitoring the deterioration mechanisms of concrete subjected to the sulfate attack in the future.

  2. Stress strain modelling and analysis of a piezo-coated optical fibre sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Raweshidy, H.; Ali, H.; Obayya, S. S. A.; Langley, R.; Batchelor, J.

    2005-02-01

    A finite element model, using commercially available software, is presented to simulate the piezoelectrically induced stresses and strains in an optical fibre to be used as antenna. These stresses and strains are generated by a layer of piezoelectric polymer deposited on the cladding of a short fibre sample. The theoretical basis for the work is briefly explained and the modelling process is emphasised. Two types of fibre are investigated - circular fibre and D-fibre, and the results compared, analysed and discussed. It is shown that in the D-fibre, the stress and displacement increased by 1.46 and 115 times, respectively, in comparison with the circular fibre.

  3. Maximizing the optical network capacity.

    PubMed

    Bayvel, Polina; Maher, Robert; Xu, Tianhua; Liga, Gabriele; Shevchenko, Nikita A; Lavery, Domaniç; Alvarado, Alex; Killey, Robert I

    2016-03-06

    Most of the digital data transmitted are carried by optical fibres, forming the great part of the national and international communication infrastructure. The information-carrying capacity of these networks has increased vastly over the past decades through the introduction of wavelength division multiplexing, advanced modulation formats, digital signal processing and improved optical fibre and amplifier technology. These developments sparked the communication revolution and the growth of the Internet, and have created an illusion of infinite capacity being available. But as the volume of data continues to increase, is there a limit to the capacity of an optical fibre communication channel? The optical fibre channel is nonlinear, and the intensity-dependent Kerr nonlinearity limit has been suggested as a fundamental limit to optical fibre capacity. Current research is focused on whether this is the case, and on linear and nonlinear techniques, both optical and electronic, to understand, unlock and maximize the capacity of optical communications in the nonlinear regime. This paper describes some of them and discusses future prospects for success in the quest for capacity. © 2016 The Authors.

  4. The evolution and exploitation of the fiber-optic hydrophone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, David J.

    2007-07-01

    In the late 1970s one of the first applications identified for fibre-optic sensing was the fibre-optic hydrophone. It was recognised that the technology had the potential to provide a cost effective solution for large-scale arrays of highly sensitive hydrophones which could be interrogated over large distances. Consequently both the United Kingdom and United States navies funded the development of this sonar technology to the point that it is now deployed on submarines and as seabed arrays. The basic design of a fibre-optic hydrophone has changed little; comprising a coil of optical fibre wound on a compliant mandrel, interrogated using interferometric techniques. Although other approaches are being investigated, including the development of fibre-laser hydrophones, the interferometric approach remains the most efficient way to create highly multiplexed arrays of acoustic sensors. So much so, that the underlying technology is now being exploited in civil applications. Recently the exploration and production sector of the oil and gas industry has begun funding the development of fibre-optic seismic sensing using seabed mounted, very large-scale arrays of four component (three accelerometers and a hydrophone) packages based upon the original technology developed for sonar systems. This has given new impetus to the development of the sensors and the associated interrogation systems which has led to the technology being adopted for other commercial uses. These include the development of networked in-road fibre-optic Weigh-in-Motion sensors and of intruder detection systems which are able to acoustically monitor long lengths of border, on both land and at sea. After two decades, the fibre-optic hydrophone and associated technology has matured and evolved into a number of highly capable sensing solutions used by a range of industries.

  5. Axonal loss from acute optic neuropathy documented by scanning laser polarimetry

    PubMed Central

    Meier, F M; Bernasconi, P; Stürmer, J; Caubergh, M-J; Landau, K

    2002-01-01

    Background/aims: Retinal nerve fibre layer analysis by scanning laser polarimetry has been shown to facilitate diagnosis of glaucoma while its role in glaucoma follow up is still unclear. A major difficulty is the slow reduction of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Eyes of patients were studied after acute retrobulbar optic nerve lesion in order to evaluate the usefulness of scanning laser polarimetry in documenting retinal nerve fibre layer loss over time. Methods: Five patients who suffered severe retrobulbar optic neuropathy have had repeated measurements of the retinal nerve fibre layer using scanning laser polarimetry at various intervals, the first examination being within 1 week of injury. Results: All eyes showed a marked decrease in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, which followed an exponential curve and occurred predominantly within 8 weeks of injury. Compared to a previous study using red-free photographs, scanning laser polarimetry showed retinal nerve fibre layer loss earlier in the course of descending atrophy. Conclusion: Scanning laser polarimetry is useful for early detection and documentation of retinal nerve fibre layer loss following acute injury to the retrobulbar optic nerve. It seems to be a promising tool for follow up of individual glaucoma patients. PMID:11864884

  6. France's State of the Art Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors Qualified for the Monitoring of the French Underground Repository for High Level and Intermediate Level Long Lived Radioactive Wastes.

    PubMed

    Delepine-Lesoille, Sylvie; Girard, Sylvain; Landolt, Marcel; Bertrand, Johan; Planes, Isabelle; Boukenter, Aziz; Marin, Emmanuel; Humbert, Georges; Leparmentier, Stéphanie; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Ouerdane, Youcef

    2017-06-13

    This paper presents the state of the art distributed sensing systems, based on optical fibres, developed and qualified for the French Cigéo project, the underground repository for high level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive wastes. Four main parameters, namely strain, temperature, radiation and hydrogen concentration are currently investigated by optical fibre sensors, as well as the tolerances of selected technologies to the unique constraints of the Cigéo's severe environment. Using fluorine-doped silica optical fibre surrounded by a carbon layer and polyimide coating, it is possible to exploit its Raman, Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering signatures to achieve the distributed sensing of the temperature and the strain inside the repository cells of radioactive wastes. Regarding the dose measurement, promising solutions are proposed based on Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) responses of sensitive fibres such as the P-doped ones. While for hydrogen measurements, the potential of specialty optical fibres with Pd particles embedded in their silica matrix is currently studied for this gas monitoring through its impact on the fibre Brillouin signature evolution.

  7. France’s State of the Art Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors Qualified for the Monitoring of the French Underground Repository for High Level and Intermediate Level Long Lived Radioactive Wastes

    PubMed Central

    Delepine-Lesoille, Sylvie; Girard, Sylvain; Landolt, Marcel; Bertrand, Johan; Planes, Isabelle; Boukenter, Aziz; Marin, Emmanuel; Humbert, Georges; Leparmentier, Stéphanie; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Ouerdane, Youcef

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents the state of the art distributed sensing systems, based on optical fibres, developed and qualified for the French Cigéo project, the underground repository for high level and intermediate level long-lived radioactive wastes. Four main parameters, namely strain, temperature, radiation and hydrogen concentration are currently investigated by optical fibre sensors, as well as the tolerances of selected technologies to the unique constraints of the Cigéo’s severe environment. Using fluorine-doped silica optical fibre surrounded by a carbon layer and polyimide coating, it is possible to exploit its Raman, Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering signatures to achieve the distributed sensing of the temperature and the strain inside the repository cells of radioactive wastes. Regarding the dose measurement, promising solutions are proposed based on Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA) responses of sensitive fibres such as the P-doped ones. While for hydrogen measurements, the potential of specialty optical fibres with Pd particles embedded in their silica matrix is currently studied for this gas monitoring through its impact on the fibre Brillouin signature evolution. PMID:28608831

  8. Measurement of Rotating Blade Tip Clearance with Fibre-Optic Probe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, S. Z.; Duan, F. J.; Zhang, Y. G.

    2006-10-01

    This paper described a tip clearance measuring system with fibre-optic probe. The system is based on a novel tip clearance sensor of optical fibre-bundle mounted on the casing, rotating speed synchronization sensor mounted on the rotating shaft, the tip clearance preamplification processing circuit followed by high speed data-acquisition unit. A novel tip clearance sensor of trifurcated optical fibre bundle was proposed and demonstrated. It is independent of material of measured surface but capacitive probe demands target conductive. Measurements can be taken under severe conditions such as ionization. Sensor circuitry and data acquisition circuit were successfully designed. With the help of Rotation synchronized sensor, all the blades can be detected in real-time. Because of fibre-optic sensor, the measuring system has commendably frequency response, which can work well in high rotating speed from 0-15000rpm.The measurement range of tip clearance is 0-3mm with 25um precision.

  9. Distributed optical fibre sensing for early detection of shallow landslides triggering.

    PubMed

    Schenato, Luca; Palmieri, Luca; Camporese, Matteo; Bersan, Silvia; Cola, Simonetta; Pasuto, Alessandro; Galtarossa, Andrea; Salandin, Paolo; Simonini, Paolo

    2017-10-31

    A distributed optical fibre sensing system is used to measure landslide-induced strains on an optical fibre buried in a large scale physical model of a slope. The fibre sensing cable is deployed at the predefined failure surface and interrogated by means of optical frequency domain reflectometry. The strain evolution is measured with centimetre spatial resolution until the occurrence of the slope failure. Standard legacy sensors measuring soil moisture and pore water pressure are installed at different depths and positions along the slope for comparison and validation. The evolution of the strain field is related to landslide dynamics with unprecedented resolution and insight. In fact, the results of the experiment clearly identify several phases within the evolution of the landslide and show that optical fibres can detect precursory signs of failure well before the collapse, paving the way for the development of more effective early warning systems.

  10. Two-photon absorption in SiO{sub 2}- and (SiO{sub 2} + GeO{sub 2})-based fibres at a wavelength of 349 nm

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chunaev, D S; Karasik, A Ya

    2014-06-30

    The nonlinear two-photon light absorption coefficients have been measured in an optical fibre with a quartz glass (SiO{sub 2}) core and in a fibre with a germanosilicate glass (SiO{sub 2} + GeO{sub 2}) core. The two-photon absorption coefficient β measured at a wavelength of 349 nm in the (SiO{sub 2} + GeO{sub 2})-based fibre (13.7 cm TW{sup -1}) multiply exceeds that for the pure quartz glass optical fibre (0.54 cm TW{sup -1}). (nonlinear optical phenomena)

  11. A dual modality optical fiber sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herrera-Piad, Luis A.; Haus, Joseph W.; Jauregui-Vazquez, Daniel; Lopez-Dieguez, Yanelis; Estudillo-Ayala, Julian M.; Sierra-Hernandez, Juan M.; Hernandez-Garcia, Juan C.; Rojas-Laguna, Roberto

    2018-02-01

    We propose and demonstrate a fibre optic system based on bi-tapered silica fibre that can simultaneously measure strain and fibre curvature. Both modalities on the signal can be extracted with no measurable crosstalk between them. The experimental signal has a pure phase modulation when strain is applied to the tapered fibre optic section of the sensor and the signal shows only intensity modulation when an un-tapered fibre section is bent. High sensitivity is achieved from the experimental results for strain and bending losses and the estimation of measurement errors is 0.2 and 0.1%, respectively. This system offers low-cost, compactness and it can be adapted for structural health monitoring.

  12. Space-division multiplexing in optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richardson, D. J.; Fini, J. M.; Nelson, L. E.

    2013-05-01

    Optical communication technology has been advancing rapidly for several decades, supporting our increasingly information-driven society and economy. Much of this progress has been in finding innovative ways to increase the data-carrying capacity of a single optical fibre. To achieve this, researchers have explored and attempted to optimize multiplexing in time, wavelength, polarization and phase. Commercial systems now utilize all four dimensions to send more information through a single fibre than ever before. The spatial dimension has, however, remained untapped in single fibres, despite it being possible to manufacture fibres supporting hundreds of spatial modes or containing multiple cores, which could be exploited as parallel channels for independent signals.

  13. Multi-scale damage modelling in a ceramic matrix composite using a finite-element microstructure meshfree methodology

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    The problem of multi-scale modelling of damage development in a SiC ceramic fibre-reinforced SiC matrix ceramic composite tube is addressed, with the objective of demonstrating the ability of the finite-element microstructure meshfree (FEMME) model to introduce important aspects of the microstructure into a larger scale model of the component. These are particularly the location, orientation and geometry of significant porosity and the load-carrying capability and quasi-brittle failure behaviour of the fibre tows. The FEMME model uses finite-element and cellular automata layers, connected by a meshfree layer, to efficiently couple the damage in the microstructure with the strain field at the component level. Comparison is made with experimental observations of damage development in an axially loaded composite tube, studied by X-ray computed tomography and digital volume correlation. Recommendations are made for further development of the model to achieve greater fidelity to the microstructure. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials’. PMID:27242308

  14. EDITORIAL: The 20th International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors, OFS-20 The 20th International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors, OFS-20

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Culshaw, Brian; Ecke, Wolfgang; Jones, Julian; Tatam, Ralph; Willsch, Reinhardt

    2010-09-01

    Welcome to our special issue on fibre optic sensors. Fibre optic sensors were first suggested in the patent literature in the mid 1960s as an innovative means for making measurements. This proposed a surface finish measurement tool with high precision and resulted in an instrument that remains available today. Much has happened since, with significant innovation in the techniques through which light propagating whilst guided in a fibre can be unambiguously, repeatedly and predictably modulated in response to an external phenomenon. The technique offers not only the precision mentioned earlier but also inherent electromagnetic immunity, the capability to sense at long distances, light weight, small size and a multiplicity of network architectures, all of which can be interrogated from a single point. Even so, fibre sensors is a niche technology, attractive only when its very special features offer substantial user benefit. There are, however, many such niches exemplified in the electrical power supply industry, in gyroscopes for navigational instruments, in hydrophones and geophones. Then there are the distributed sensing architectures that enable useful measurements of pressure, strain and temperature fields affecting the optical properties of the fibre itself to map these parameter fields as a function of position along lengths of fibre to many tens of kilometres. The fibre sensing concept spawned its own research community, and the international conference on Optical Fibre Sensors first appeared in 1983 in London then emerged into a series travelling from Europe to the Americas and into the Asia-Pacific region. The 20th in the series took place in Edinburgh at the end of 2009 and this special issue of Measurement Science and Technology presents extended versions of some of the papers that first appeared at the conference. The science and technology of fibre sensing have evolved significantly over the history of the conference, drawing on developments in optical communications, material science and data management along the way. This is, of course, the year commemorating half a century of the laser. Arguably, laser technology, most notably semiconductor lasers, has made the major contribution to fibre optic sensors, and precision-controlled laser sources are now effectively taken for granted within the fibre sensor community. We have also drawn on innovation in fibre communications: the fibre itself, the Bragg grating and the fibre amplifier—and more recently on material systems like photonic crystal fibres, biophotonics and nanostructures. In this issue you will find some examples of the intriguing research that exemplifies the best of current fibre sensor technology. The issue gives some impression of the many facets—scientific, technological and applications—that fibre sensors have on offer. It also exemplifies a truly international community which is brought together through the conference series. The next OFS meeting takes place in Ottawa, Canada on 15-19 May 2011 (see www.ofs21.org/), followed in the autumn of 2012 by an event in Beijing. We look forward to seeing you there.

  15. The scheme of a blindless positioning structure with parallel adjusting tables and swing rods for 4000 optical fibres of LAMOST.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yunguo, Gao

    1996-12-01

    This scheme structure is for positioning 4000 optical fibres of LAMOST telescope. It adopts the swing rods adjusted parallel and simultaneously by many small tables. The problems, for example, positioning accuracy of the optical fibers, the time to readjust all the 4000 optical fibres and error correction, etc. have been considered in the scheme. The structure has no blind area.

  16. Encryption method based on pseudo random spatial light modulation for single-fibre data transmission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kowalski, Marcin; Zyczkowski, Marek

    2017-11-01

    Optical cryptosystems can provide encryption and sometimes compression simultaneously. They are increasingly attractive for information securing especially for image encryption. Our studies shown that the optical cryptosystems can be used to encrypt optical data transmission. We propose and study a new method for securing fibre data communication. The paper presents a method for optical encryption of data transmitted with a single optical fibre. The encryption process relies on pseudo-random spatial light modulation, combination of two encryption keys and the Compressed Sensing framework. A linear combination of light pulses with pseudo-random patterns provides a required encryption performance. We propose an architecture to transmit the encrypted data through the optical fibre. The paper describes the method, presents the theoretical analysis, design of physical model and results of experiment.

  17. Laser-To-Fibre Couplers In Optical Recording Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ophey, W. G.; Benschop, J. P. H.

    1988-02-01

    In optical recording, the use of single-mode fibres can considerably increase the coupling efficiency of the laser light into the light path. Important here is the performance of the laser-to-fibre coupler used. A mathematical treatment of different kinds of laser-to-fibre couplers is presented using scalar diffraction theory in order to obtain the field incident on the front end of the fibre. In this case the coupling efficiency of a laser-to-fibre coupler, using an aberrated light source (astigmatism) with an asymmetric far-field pattern, can easily be calculated.

  18. Birefringence in anisotropic optical fibres studied by polarised light Brillouin reflectometry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Smirnov, A S; Burdin, V V; Konstantinov, Yu A

    2015-01-31

    Modal birefringence (the difference between the effective refractive indices of orthogonal polarisation modes) is one of the key parameters of anisotropic single-mode fibres, characterising their ability to preserve a linearly polarised state of input light. This parameter is commonly measured using short pieces of fibre, but such procedures are destructive and allow the birefringence to be determined only at the ends of long fibres. In this study, polarised light Brillouin reflectometry is used to assess birefringence uniformity throughout the length of an anisotropic fibre. (optical fibres)

  19. FRD in optical fibres at low temperatures: investigations for Gemini's Wide-field Fibre Multi-Object Spectrograph

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Oliveira, A. C.; de Oliveira, L. S.; Dos Santos, J. B.; Arruda, M. V.; Dos Santos, L. G. C.; Rodrigues, F.; de Castro, F. L. F.

    2011-06-01

    While there is no direct evidence for the deterioration in Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD) of optical fibres in severe temperature gradients, the fibre ends inserted into metallic containment devices such as steel ferrules can be a source of stress, and hence increased FRD at low temperatures. In such conditions, instruments using optical fibres may suffer some increase in FRD and consequent loss of system throughput when they are working in environments with significant thermal gradients, a common characteristic of ground-based observatories. In this paper we present results of experiments with optical fibres inserted in different materials as a part of our prototyping study for Gemini's Wide-field Multi-Object Spectrograph (WFMOS) project. Thermal effects and the use of new holding techniques will be discussed in the context of Integral Field Units and multi-fibres systems. In this work, we have used careful methodologies that give absolute measurements of FRD to quantify the advantages of using epoxy-based composites rather than metals as support structures for the fibre ends. This is shown to be especially important in minimizing thermally induced stresses in the fibre terminations. Not only is this important for optimizing fibre spectrograph performance but the benefits of using such materials are demonstrated in the minimization of positional variations and the avoidance of metal-to-glass delamination. Furthermore, by impregnating the composites with small zirconium oxide particles the composite materials supply their own fine polishing grit which aids significantly to the optical quality of the finished product.

  20. All-fibre optical gating system for measuring a complex-shaped periodic broadband signal with picosecond resolution in a nanosecond time window

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrianov, A. V.

    2018-04-01

    We have developed an optical gating system for continuously monitoring a complex-shaped periodic optical signal with picosecond resolution in a nanosecond time window using an all-fibre optical gate in the form of a nonlinear loop mirror and a passively mode-locked femtosecond laser. The distinctive features of the system are the possibility of characterizing signals with a very large spectral bandwidth, the possibility of using a gating pulse source with a wavelength falling in the band of the signal under study and its all-fibre design with the use of standard fibres and telecom components.

  1. Comparison of Chromatic Dispersion Compensation Method Efficiency for 10 Gbit/S RZ-OOK and NRZ-OOK Wdm-Pon Transmission Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alsevska, A.; Dilendorfs, V.; Spolitis, S.; Bobrovs, Vj.

    2017-12-01

    In the paper, the authors compare efficiency of two physical dispersion compensation methods for single channel and 8-channel WDM fibre-optical transmission systems using return-to-zero (RZ) and non-return-to-zero (NRZ) line codes for operation within optical C-band frequencies by means of computer simulations. As one of the most important destructive effects in fibre optical transmission systems (FOTS) is chromatic dispersion (CD), it is very important to reduce its negative effect on a transmitted signal. Dispersion compensation methods that were implemented in the research were dispersion compensating fibre (DCF) and fibre Bragg grating (FBG). The main goal of the paper was to find out which dispersion compensation method (DCF or FBG) provided the highest performance increase for fibre-optical transmission system and provided the longest transmission distance after dispersion compensation was implemented at different locations in the fibre-optical line while RZ or NRZ line codes were used. In the paper the reference point of signal quality for all measurements, which were obtained at the receiver, was BER<10-12.

  2. Optical Fibre Sensors Using Graphene-Based Materials: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Hernaez, Miguel; Zamarreño, Carlos R.; Melendi-Espina, Sonia; Bird, Liam R.; Mayes, Andrew G.; Arregui, Francisco J.

    2017-01-01

    Graphene and its derivatives have become the most explored materials since Novoselov and Geim (Nobel Prize winners for Physics in 2010) achieved its isolation in 2004. The exceptional properties of graphene have attracted the attention of the scientific community from different research fields, generating high impact not only in scientific journals, but also in general-interest newspapers. Optical fibre sensing is one of the many fields that can benefit from the use of these new materials, combining the amazing morphological, chemical, optical and electrical features of graphene with the advantages that optical fibre offers over other sensing strategies. In this document, a review of the current state of the art for optical fibre sensors based on graphene materials is presented. PMID:28098825

  3. Optical Fibre Sensors Using Graphene-Based Materials: A Review.

    PubMed

    Hernaez, Miguel; Zamarreño, Carlos R; Melendi-Espina, Sonia; Bird, Liam R; Mayes, Andrew G; Arregui, Francisco J

    2017-01-14

    Graphene and its derivatives have become the most explored materials since Novoselov and Geim (Nobel Prize winners for Physics in 2010) achieved its isolation in 2004. The exceptional properties of graphene have attracted the attention of the scientific community from different research fields, generating high impact not only in scientific journals, but also in general-interest newspapers. Optical fibre sensing is one of the many fields that can benefit from the use of these new materials, combining the amazing morphological, chemical, optical and electrical features of graphene with the advantages that optical fibre offers over other sensing strategies. In this document, a review of the current state of the art for optical fibre sensors based on graphene materials is presented.

  4. Propagation of polarised light in bent hi-bi spun fibres

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Przhiyalkovsky, Ya V; Morshnev, S K; Starostin, N I

    The evolution of polarisation states (PS's) of broadband light propagating through a bent optical fibre with a helical structure of its refractive index anisotropy (hi-bi spun fibre) has been studied theoretically and experimentally. It has been shown that there exists a coordinate system of PS's in which the differential Jones matrix can be replaced by a diagonal matrix, which allows the polarisation parameters of the output broadband light to be readily calculated with sufficient accuracy. We have derived a formula for evaluating the magneto-optical sensitivity of a bent spun fibre. An approach has been proposed for restoring the degree ofmore » polarisation of light in a bent hi-bi spun fibre and, as a consequence, the visibility (contrast) of the interferometer in a current sensor with a sensing element based on the fibre under consideration. (optical fibres)« less

  5. Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Noor, N. Mohd; Jusoh, M. A.; Razis, A. F. Abdull

    Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dosemore » response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%.« less

  6. Flat Ge-doped optical fibres for food irradiation dosimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noor, N. Mohd; Jusoh, M. A.; Razis, A. F. Abdull; Alawiah, A.; Bradley, D. A.

    2015-04-01

    Exposing food to radiation can improve hygiene quality, germination control, retard sprouting, and enhance physical attributes of the food product. To provide for food safety, radiation dosimetry in irradiated food is required. Herein, fabricated germanium doped (Ge-doped) optical fibres have been used. The fibres have been irradiated using a gamma source irradiator, doses in the range 1 kGy to 10 kGy being delivered. Using Ge-doped optical fibres of variable size, type and dopant concentration, study has been made of linearity, reproducibility, and fading. The thermoluminescence (TL) yield of the fibres were obtained and compared. The fibres exhibit a linear dose response over the investigated range of doses, with mean reproducibility to within 2.69 % to 8.77 %, exceeding the dose range of all commercial dosimeters used in evaluating high doses for the food irradiation industry. TL fading of the Ge-doped flat fibres has been found to be < 13%.

  7. Shape memory polymeric composites sensing by optic fibre Bragg gratings: A very first approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quadrini, Fabrizio; Santo, Loredana; Ciminello, Monica; Concilio, Antonio; Volponi, Ruggero; Spena, Paola

    2016-05-01

    Shape memory polymer composites (SMPCs) have the potential for many applications in aerospace, spanning from self-repairing of structures to self-deploying of antennas, solar sails, or functional devices (e.g. for grabbing small space debris). In all these cases, it may be essential to have information about their configuration at different stages of shape recovery. In this study, the strain history of a prepreg carbon fibre system, cured with a shape memory polymer (SMP) interlayer, is monitored through a Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG), a fibre optic sensor device. SMPC has been manufactured by using traditional technologies for aerospace. After manufacturing cylindrical shape samples, an external fibre optic system is added to the composite structure; this system is especially suited for high temperatures which are necessary for SMP recovery and composite softening. Sensor functionality is checked before and after each strain history path. Optic fibre arrangement is optimized to avoid unwanted breakings whereas strains are limited by fibre collapsing, i.e. within nominal 2% of deformation. Dynamic information about shape recovery gives fundamental insights about strain evolution during time as well as its spatial distribution.

  8. Nanostructured optical fibre arrays for high-density biochemical sensing and remote imaging.

    PubMed

    Deiss, F; Sojic, N; White, D J; Stoddart, P R

    2010-01-01

    Optical fibre bundles usually comprise a few thousand to tens of thousands of individually clad glass optical fibres. The ordered arrangement of the fibres enables coherent transmission of an image through the bundle and therefore enables analysis and viewing in remote locations. In fused bundles, this architecture has also been used to fabricate arrays of various micro to nano-scale surface structures (micro/nanowells, nanotips, triangles, etc.) over relatively large areas. These surface structures have been used to obtain new optical and analytical capabilities. Indeed, the imaging bundle can be thought of as a "starting material" that can be sculpted by a combination of fibre drawing and selective wet-chemical etching processes. A large variety of bioanalytical applications have thus been developed, ranging from nano-optics to DNA nanoarrays. For instance, nanostructured optical surfaces with intrinsic light-guiding properties have been exploited as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platforms and as near-field probe arrays. They have also been productively associated with electrochemistry to fabricate arrays of transparent nanoelectrodes with electrochemiluminescent imaging properties. The confined geometry of the wells has been loaded with biosensing materials and used as femtolitre-sized vessels to detect single molecules. This review describes the fabrication of high-density nanostructured optical fibre arrays and summarizes the large range of optical and bioanalytical applications that have been developed, reflecting the versatility of this ordered light-guiding platform.

  9. Novel shape memory alloy optical fibre connection method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trouillard, G.; Zivojinovic, P.; Cerutti, R.; Godmaire, X. Pruneau; Weynant, E.

    2010-02-01

    In this paper, the capacity and quality of a shape memory alloy device is demonstrated for installation and connection of 125-μm to 1000-μm optical fibres. The new mechanical splice has the particularity of using a very simple tool for aligning and holding the cladding of fibres itself without the need of glue. Optimend main characteristics are its small dimensions (few millimetres), reusability, glueless, ruggedness, low temperature variation, heat dissipation and ease of use. These properties are very suitable for many optical fibre applications where both quick and reliable connections are desirable.

  10. An optimal method for producing low-stress fibre optic cables for astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, Graham; Tamura, Naoyuki; Takato, Naruhisa; Ekpenyong, Paul; Jenkins, Daniel; Leeson, Kim; Trezise, Shaun; Butterley, Timothy; Gunn, James; Ferreira, Decio; Oliveira, Ligia; Sodre, Laerte

    2017-09-01

    An increasing number of astronomical spectrographs employ optical fibres to collect and deliver light. For integral-field and high multiplex multi-object survey instruments, fibres offer unique flexibility in instrument design by enabling spectrographs to be located remotely from the telescope focal plane where the fibre inputs are deployed. Photon-starved astronomical observations demand optimum efficiency from the fibre system. In addition to intrinsic absorption loss in optical fibres, another loss mechanism, so-called focal ratio degradation (FRD) must be considered. A fundamental cause of FRD is stress, therefore low stress fibre cables that impart minimum FRD are essential. The FMOS fibre instrument for Subaru Telescope employed a highly effective cable solution developed at Durham University. The method has been applied again for the PFS project, this time in collaboration with a company, PPC Broadband Ltd. The process, planetary stranding, is adapted from the manufacture of large fibre-count, large diameter marine telecommunications cables. Fibre bundles describe helical paths through the cable, incorporating additional fibre per unit length. As a consequence fibre stress from tension and bend-induced `race-tracking' is minimised. In this paper stranding principles are explained, covering the fundamentals of stranded cable design. The authors describe the evolution of the stranding production line and the numerous steps in the manufacture of the PFS prototype cable. The results of optical verification tests are presented for each stage of cable production, confirming that the PFS prototype performs exceptionally well. The paper concludes with an outline of future on-telescope test plans.

  11. Carbon laminates with RE doped optical fibre sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miluski, Piotr; Kochanowicz, Marcin; Żmojda, Jacek; Silva, AbíLio P.; Reis, Paulo N. B.; Dorosz, Dominik

    2016-11-01

    A new type of luminescent optical fibre sensor for structural health monitoring of composite laminates (CFRP) is proposed. The Nd3+ doped multi-core doubleclad fibre incorporated in composite structure was used as a distributed temperature sensor. The change of luminescence intensity (Nd3+ ions) at the wavelength of 880 nm (4F3/2 → 4I9/2) and 1060 nm (4F3/2 → 4I11/2) was used for internal temperature monitoring. The special construction of optical fibre was used as it assures an efficient pumping mechanism and, at same time, it increases the measuring sensitivity. The linear response with relative sensitivity 0.015 K-1 was obtained for temperature range from 30 up to 75ºC. The manufacturing process of CFRP with embedded optical fibre sensor is also discussed.

  12. Fibre-optic sensors in health care

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grazia Mignani, Anna; Baldini, Francesco

    1997-05-01

    Biomedical fibre-optic sensors are attractive for the measurement of physical, chemical and biochemical parameters and for spectral measurements directly performed on the patient. An overview of fibre-optic sensors for in vivo monitoring is given, with particular attention paid to the advantages that these sensors are able to offer in different application fields such as cardiovascular and intensive care, angiology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, oncology, neurology, dermatology and dentistry.

  13. Multiplexing curvature sensors using fibre segment interferometry for lateral vibration measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kissinger, Thomas; Chehura, Edmon; James, Stephen W.; Tatam, Ralph P.

    2017-04-01

    Dynamic fibre-optic curvature sensing is demonstrated by interrogating chains of fibre segments, separated by broadband Bragg grating reflectors, using range-resolved interferometry (RRI). Four fibre strings, containing four fibre segments each of gauge length 20 cm, are attached to the opposing sides of a support structure and the resulting differential strain measurements allow inference of lateral displacements of a cantilever test object. Dynamic tip displacement resolutions in the micrometre range at an interferometric bandwidth of 21 kHz demonstrate the suitability of this approach for highly sensitive and cost-effective fibre-optic directional vibration measurements of smart structures.

  14. SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Transducers of physical fields based on two-channel coaxial optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Busurin, V. I.; Brazhnikova, T. Yu; Korobkov, V. V.; Prokhorov, N. I.

    1995-10-01

    An analysis is made of a general basic configuration and of the transfer function of a fibre-optic transducer based on controlled coupling in a multilayer two-channel coaxial optical fibre. The influence of the structure parameters and of external factors on the errors of a sensitive element in such a transducer is considered. The results are given of an investigation of the characteristics of a number of transducers constructed in accordance with the basic configuration.

  15. High Performance Hermetic Package For LiNbO3 Electro-Optic Waveguide Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preston, K. R.; Macdonald, B. M.; Harmon, R. A.; Ford, C. W.; Shaw, R. N.; Reid, I.; Davidson, J. H.; Beaumont, A. R.; Booth, R. C.

    1989-02-01

    A high performance fibre-tailed package for LiNbO3 electro-optic waveguide devices is described. The package is based around a hermetic metal submodule which contains no epoxy or other organic materials. The LiNbO3 chip is mounted using a soldering technique, and laser welding is used for fibre fixing to give stable, low loss optical coupling to single mode fibres. Optical reflections are minimised by the use of antireflective coatings on the fibre ends and waveguide facets. High speed electrical connections are made via coplanar glass-sealed leadthroughs to LiNb03 travelling wave devices, and packaged device operation to frequencies in excess of 4GHz is demonstrated.

  16. Align-and-shine photolithography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrusis, Audrius; Rector, Jan H.; Smith, Kristen; de Man, Sven; Iannuzzi, Davide

    2009-10-01

    At the beginning of 2009, our group has introduced a new technique that allows fabrication of photolithographic patterns on the cleaved end of an optical fibre: the align-and-shine photolithography technique (see A. Petrušis et al., "The align-and-shine technique for series production of photolithography patterns on optical fibres", J. Micromech. Microeng. 19, 047001, 2009). Align-and-shine photolithography combines standard optical lithography with imagebased active fibre alignment processes. The technique adapts well to series production, opening the way to batch fabrication of fibre-top devices (D. Iannuzzi et al., "Monolithic fibre-top cantilever for critical environments and standard applications", Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 053501, 2006) and all other devices that rely on suitable machining of engineered parts on the tip of a fibre. In this paper we review our results and briefly discuss its potential applications.

  17. Comparative study of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness performed with optical coherence tomography and GDx scanning laser polarimetry in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma.

    PubMed

    Wasyluk, Jaromir T; Jankowska-Lech, Irmina; Terelak-Borys, Barbara; Grabska-Liberek, Iwona

    2012-03-01

    We compared the parameters of retinal nerve fibre layer in patients with advanced glaucoma with the use of different OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) devices in relation to analogical measurements performed with GDx VCC (Nerve Fiber Analyzer with Variable Corneal Compensation) scanning laser polarimetry. Study subjects had advanced primary open-angle glaucoma, previously treated conservatively, diagnosed and confirmed by additional examinations (visual field, ophthalmoscopy of optic nerve, gonioscopy), A total of 10 patients were enrolled (9 women and 1 man), aged 18-70 years of age. Nineteen eyes with advanced glaucomatous neuropathy were examined. 1) Performing a threshold perimetry Octopus, G2 strategy and ophthalmoscopy of optic nerve to confirm the presence of advanced primary open-angle glaucoma; 2) performing a GDx VCC scanning laser polarimetry of retinal nerve fibre layer; 3) measuring the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness with 3 different optical coherence tomographs. The parameters of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness are highly correlated between the GDx and OCT Stratus and 3D OCT-1000 devices in mean retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in the upper sector, and correlation of NFI (GDx) with mean retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in OCT examinations. Absolute values of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (measured in µm) differ significantly between GDx and all OCT devices. Examination with OCT devices is a sensitive diagnostic method of glaucoma, with good correlation with the results of GDx scanning laser polarimetry of the patients.

  18. A fiber optic sensor for on-line non-touch monitoring of roll shape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Yuan; Qu, Weijian; Yuan, Qi

    2009-07-01

    Basing on the principle of reflective displacement fibre-optic sensor, a high accuracy non-touch on-line optical fibre sensor for detecting roll shape is presented. The principle and composition of the detection system and the operation process are expatiated also. By using a novel probe of three optical fibres in equal transverse space, the effects of fluctuations in the light source, reflective changing of target surface and the intensity losses in the fibre lines are automatically compensated. Meantime, an optical fibre sensor model of correcting static error based on BP artificial neural network (ANN) is set up. Also by using interpolation method and value filtering to process the signals, effectively reduce the influence of random noise and the vibration of the roll bearing. So the accuracy and resolution were enhanced remarkably. Experiment proves that the resolution is 1μm and the precision can reach to 0.1%. So the system reaches to the demand of practical production process.

  19. Role of the interface between distributed fibre optic strain sensor and soil in ground deformation measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Cheng-Cheng; Zhu, Hong-Hu; Shi, Bin

    2016-11-01

    Recently the distributed fibre optic strain sensing (DFOSS) technique has been applied to monitor deformations of various earth structures. However, the reliability of soil deformation measurements remains unclear. Here we present an integrated DFOSS- and photogrammetry-based test study on the deformation behaviour of a soil foundation model to highlight the role of strain sensing fibre-soil interface in DFOSS-based geotechnical monitoring. Then we investigate how the fibre-soil interfacial behaviour is influenced by environmental changes, and how the strain distribution along the fibre evolves during progressive interface failure. We observe that the fibre-soil interfacial bond is tightened and the measurement range of the fibre is extended under high densities or low water contents of soil. The plastic zone gradually occupies the whole fibre length when the soil deformation accumulates. Consequently, we derive a theoretical model to simulate the fibre-soil interfacial behaviour throughout the progressive failure process, which accords well with the experimental results. On this basis, we further propose that the reliability of measured strain can be determined by estimating the stress state of the fibre-soil interface. These findings may have important implications for interpreting and evaluating fibre optic strain measurements, and implementing reliable DFOSS-based geotechnical instrumentation.

  20. Frequency modulation and compression of optical pulses in an optical fibre with a travelling refractive-index wave

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zolotovskii, I O; Lapin, V A; Sementsov, D I

    2016-01-31

    We have studied the conditions for spectral broadening, frequency modulation and compression (both temporal and spectral) of Gaussian pulses propagating in a fibre with a travelling refractive-index wave. Analytical expressions have been derived for the dependences of pulse duration, chirp and spectral width on the distance travelled through the fibre, parameters of the fibre and radiation launched into it. Based on the numerical analysis we have studied the behaviour of these characteristics by changing the coefficient of the refractive-index modulation and other parameters of the travelling refractive-index wave. (nonlinear optical phenomena)

  1. Growth of Third-Harmonic Signal in Optical Glass Fibre

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-01-01

    harmonic signal In optical glass fibres , illuminated vith 10kV peak pover pulses from A NdYAG lasers has been observed. Broadband fluores.enc from the third...J’T. Al-0002 GROWTH OF THIFRO-HARMVONIC SIGNAL IN OPTICAL GLASS FIORE Irdexim tems 0,rkl f. N motwvij p~ .G For mo i fibres the Sit signal strtd g0r...Amorphous nature of glass ) but with time, as the fibre is illuminated with inltense laser light at 4 w1O6pm, the S1t signal 3rows. What is believed to

  2. Effect of the preform fabrication process on the properties of all-silica optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grishchenko, A. B.

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, we present a detailed comparison of technical capabilities of processes for the fabrication of all-silica optical fibre preforms with the use of an atmospheric pressure radio frequency plasma (POVD process) and low-pressure microwave plasma (PCVD process) and analyse the origin of the difference in optical properties between fibres produced by these methods. It is shown that the higher temperature of the core material and the higher oxygen partial pressure in preform fabrication by the POVD process lead to an increase in optical losses in the visible and UV spectral regions in the silica fibres with low hydroxyl (OH) content and a decrease in the solarisation resistance of the fibres with high OH content, i.e. to a more rapid increase in background losses in response to UV irradiation. No such drawbacks are detected in the case of the growth of reflective layers by the PCVD process.

  3. Effect of heat treatment on absorption and fluorescence properties of PbS-doped silica optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Fu; Dong, Yanhua; Wen, Jianxiang; Pang, Fufei; Luo, Yanhua; Peng, Gang-Ding; Chen, Zhenyi; Wang, Tingyun

    2017-02-01

    The effect of heat treatment on the optical properties of a PbS-doped silica optical fibre was investigated. The experimental results showed that the absorption peak of the fibre red shifted from 1032 to 1133 nm when the heat treatment temperatures were carried out at 900, 950, 1000, and 1100 °C for 1 h, respectively. At the same time, when the heat treatment at 900 °C was carried out for 2, 5, 10, 20, and 40 h, the absorption spectra of the fibre showed a red shift from 1074 to 1143 nm. In addition, the intensity of the absorption peak increased from 0.258 to 1.384 dB/m and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) became narrower (from 130 to 50 nm) as the heat treatment proceeded. Moreover, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity in the wavelength range of 1100-1500 nm decreased with an increase in the heat treatment temperature. The theoretical analysis, using an effective mass method, showed that the effective band gap energy and average size of the lead sulphide (PbS) quantum dots (QDs) in the silica fibre core varied from 1.199 to 1.083 eV and from 4.28 to 4.81 nm, respectively. The results indicate that the size of the PbS QDs present in the silica fibre core could be controlled by a proper heat treatment, which is of great interest in optical fibre amplifiers and other fibre optic devices.

  4. The effect of mechanical drawing on optical and structural properties of nylon 6 fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Bakary, M. A.

    2007-09-01

    The Pluta polarizing double-refracting interference microscope was attached to a mechanical drawing device to study the effect of cold drawing on the optical and structural properties of nylon 6 fibres. The microscope was used in its two positions for determining the refractive indices and birefringence of fibres. Different applied stresses and strain rates were obtained using the mechanical-drawing device. The effect of the applied stresses on the optical and physical parameters was investigated. The resulting optical parameters were utilized to investigate the polarizability per unit volume, the optical orientation factor, the orientation angle and the average work per chain. The refractive index and birefringence profiles were measured. Relationships between the average work per chain and optical parameters at different strains rates were determined. An empirical formula was deduced for these fibres. Micro-interferograms are given for illustration.

  5. Fibre reinforced concrete exposed to elevated temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novák, J.; Kohoutková, A.

    2017-09-01

    Although concrete when subject to fire performs very well, its behaviour and properties change dramatically under high temperature due to damaged microstructure and mesostructure. As fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) represents a complex material composed of various components with different response to high temperature, to determine its behaviour and mechanical properties in fire is a demanding task. The presented paper provides a summary of findings on the fire response of fibre FRC. Namely, the information on steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC), synthetic fibre reinforced concrete and hybrid (steel + synthetic) fibre reinforced concrete have been gathered from various contributions published up to date. The mechanical properties including the melting point and ignition point of fibres affect significantly the properties of concrete composites with addition of fibres. The combination of steel and synthetic fibres represents a promising alternative how to ensure good toughness of a concrete composite before heating and improve its residual mechanical behaviour and spalling resistance as well as the ductility after heating. While synthetic fibres increase concrete spalling resistance, steel fibres in a concrete mix leads to an improvement in both mechanical properties and resistance to heating effects.

  6. Enhanced all-optical modulation in a graphene-coated fibre with low insertion loss

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Haojie; Healy, Noel; Shen, Li; Huang, Chung Che; Hewak, Daniel W.; Peacock, Anna C.

    2016-01-01

    Graphene is a highly versatile two-dimensional material platform that offers exceptional optical and electrical properties. Of these, its dynamic conductivity and low effective carrier mass are of particular interest for optoelectronic applications as they underpin the material’s broadband nonlinear optical absorption and ultra-fast carrier mobility, respectively. In this paper, we utilize these phenomena to demonstrate a high-speed, in-fibre optical modulator developed on a side-polished optical fibre platform. An especially low insertion loss (<1 dB) was achieved by polishing the fibre to a near atomically smooth surface (<1 nm RMS), which minimized scattering and ensured excellent contact between the graphene film and the fibre. In order to enhance the light-matter interaction, the graphene film is coated with a high index polyvinyl butyral layer, which has the added advantage of acting as a barrier to the surrounding environment. Using this innovative approach, we have fabricated a robust and stable all-fibre device with an extinction ratio as high as 9 dB and operation bandwidth of 0.5 THz. These results represent a key step towards the integration of low-dimensional materials within standard telecoms networks. PMID:27001353

  7. Curved adjustable fibre-optic diode laser in microscopic cholesteatoma surgery: description of use and review of the relevant literature.

    PubMed

    McCaffer, C J; Pabla, L; Watson, C

    2018-04-01

    The use of lasers in cholesteatoma surgery is common and well accepted. The most commonly used laser fibres are straight and non-adjustable; these have several limitations. This paper describes the use of an alternative laser fibre. This 'How I Do It' paper describes and illustrates the use of an alternative curved adjustable fibre-optic diode laser in microscopic cholesteatoma surgery. The curved, adjustable laser fibre allows accurate and atraumatic disease removal when the use of a straight laser fibre may be less effective or accurate. It reduces potential damage to delicate structures without the need for extra drilling or bone removal. It is suggested that the curved adjustable laser fibre is superior to the traditional straight fibre for cholesteatoma surgery.

  8. 1,4-Bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene doped PMMA fibre for blue range fluorescent applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miluski, Piotr; Kochanowicz, Marcin; Zmojda, Jacek; Dorosz, Dominik

    2018-03-01

    The fluorescent dyes allow new optical applications in polymer-based optical fibre technology. The article presents highly fluorescent 1,4-Bis(2-methylstyryl)benzene doped poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fibre. The multi-peak (422, 450, 488 nm) fluorescence spectrum of the bulk specimen under 355 nm excitation is presented. The polymerization and fibre drawing process is also shown. The fluorescent properties vs. fibre length at excitation 405 nm are investigated. Significant spectrum shape changes and red shift phenomena of individual peaks are presented using one end excitation and fibre cutting method measurements for fibre length 2-90 cm. Obtained attenuation level 0.69 dB/m limits useful fibre length but obtained results can be useful in new polymeric fibers applications (e.g. sensors, light sources).

  9. Advances in laser technology and fibre-optic delivery systems in lithotripsy.

    PubMed

    Fried, Nathaniel M; Irby, Pierce B

    2018-06-08

    The flashlamp-pumped, solid-state holmium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (YAG) laser has been the laser of choice for use in ureteroscopic lithotripsy for the past 20 years. However, although the holmium laser works well on all stone compositions and is cost-effective, this technology still has several fundamental limitations. Newer laser technologies, including the frequency-doubled, double-pulse YAG (FREDDY), erbium:YAG, femtosecond, and thulium fibre lasers, have all been explored as potential alternatives to the holmium:YAG laser for lithotripsy. Each of these laser technologies is associated with technical advantages and disadvantages, and the search continues for the next generation of laser lithotripsy systems that can provide rapid, safe, and efficient stone ablation. New fibre-optic approaches for safer and more efficient delivery of the laser energy inside the urinary tract include the use of smaller-core fibres and fibres that are tapered, spherical, detachable or hollow steel, or have muzzle brake distal fibre-optic tips. These specialty fibres might provide advantages, including improved flexibility for maximal ureteroscope deflection, reduced cross section for increased saline irrigation rates through the working channel of the ureteroscope, reduced stone retropulsion for improved stone ablation efficiency, and reduced fibre degradation and burnback for longer fibre life.

  10. Sensitivity of a fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations in an optical fibre

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Alekseev, A E; Potapov, V T; Gorshkov, B G

    2015-10-31

    Sensitivity of a fibre scattered-light interferometer to external phase perturbations is studied for the first time. An expression is derived for an average power of a useful signal at the interferometer output under external harmonic perturbations in a signal fibre of the interferometer. It is shown that the maximum sensitivity of the scattered-light interferometer depends on the dispersion of the interferogram intensity. An average signal-to-noise ratio is determined theoretically and experimentally at the output of the interferometer at different amplitudes of external perturbations. Using the measured dependences of the signal-to-noise ratio, the threshold sensitivity of the fibre scattered-light interferometer tomore » external phase perturbations is found. The results obtained can be used to optimise characteristics of optical time-domain reflectometers and to design individual phase-sensitive fibre-optic sensors. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)« less

  11. Comparative study of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness performed with optical coherence tomography and GDx scanning laser polarimetry in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

    PubMed Central

    Wasyluk, Jaromir T.; Jankowska-Lech, Irmina; Terelak-Borys, Barbara; Grabska-Liberek, Iwona

    2012-01-01

    Summary Background We compared the parameters of retinal nerve fibre layer in patients with advanced glaucoma with the use of different OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) devices in relation to analogical measurements performed with GDx VCC (Nerve Fiber Analyzer with Variable Corneal Compensation) scanning laser polarimetry. Material/Methods Study subjects had advanced primary open-angle glaucoma, previously treated conservatively, diagnosed and confirmed by additional examinations (visual field, ophthalmoscopy of optic nerve, gonioscopy), A total of 10 patients were enrolled (9 women and 1 man), aged 18–70 years of age. Nineteen eyes with advanced glaucomatous neuropathy were examined. 1) Performing a threshold perimetry Octopus, G2 strategy and ophthalmoscopy of optic nerve to confirm the presence of advanced primary open-angle glaucoma; 2) performing a GDx VCC scanning laser polarimetry of retinal nerve fibre layer; 3) measuring the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness with 3 different optical coherence tomographs. Results The parameters of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness are highly correlated between the GDx and OCT Stratus and 3D OCT-1000 devices in mean retinal nerve fibre layer thickness, retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in the upper sector, and correlation of NFI (GDx) with mean retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in OCT examinations. Absolute values of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (measured in μm) differ significantly between GDx and all OCT devices. Conclusions Examination with OCT devices is a sensitive diagnostic method of glaucoma, with good correlation with the results of GDx scanning laser polarimetry of the patients. PMID:22367131

  12. Polarisation effects in twin-core fibre: Application for mode locking in a fibre laser

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lobach, I A; Kablukov, S I; Podivilov, Evgenii V

    2012-09-30

    We report the first measurements of the longitudinal power distribution in a twin-core optical fibre at different input light polarisations. Experimental evidence is presented that, because of the difference in birefringence between the cores, the power in them depends on which core the beam is launched into. Experimental data are interpreted in terms of a modified polarisation model for mode coupling in twin-core fibres which takes into account the birefringence of the cores. In addition, we demonstrate for the first time the use of the polarisation properties of a twincore fibre for mode locking in a fibre laser. (optical fibres,more » lasers and amplifiers. properties and applications)« less

  13. Fibre optic microarrays.

    PubMed

    Walt, David R

    2010-01-01

    This tutorial review describes how fibre optic microarrays can be used to create a variety of sensing and measurement systems. This review covers the basics of optical fibres and arrays, the different microarray architectures, and describes a multitude of applications. Such arrays enable multiplexed sensing for a variety of analytes including nucleic acids, vapours, and biomolecules. Polymer-coated fibre arrays can be used for measuring microscopic chemical phenomena, such as corrosion and localized release of biochemicals from cells. In addition, these microarrays can serve as a substrate for fundamental studies of single molecules and single cells. The review covers topics of interest to chemists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers.

  14. Evaluation of the optical switching characteristics of erbium-doped fibres for the development of a fibre Bragg grating sensor interrogator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rigas, Evangelos; Correia, R.; Stathopoulos, N. A.; Savaidis, S. P.; James, S. W.; Bhattacharyya, D.; Kirby, P. B.; Tatam, R. P.

    2014-05-01

    A polling topology that employs optical switching based on the properties of erbium-doped fibres (EDFs) is used to interrogate an array of FBGs. The properties of the EDF are investigated in its pumped and un-pumped states and the EDFs' switching properties are evaluated by comparing them with a high performance electronically controlled MEM optical switch. Potential advantages of the proposed technique are discussed.

  15. Femtosecond fibre laser stabilisation to an optical frequency standard using a KTP electro-optic crystal

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nyushkov, B N; Pivtsov, V S; Koliada, N A

    2015-05-31

    A miniature intracavity KTP-based electro-optic phase modulator has been developed which can be used for effective stabilisation of an optical frequency comb of a femtosecond erbiumdoped fibre laser to an optical frequency standard. The use of such an electro-optic modulator (EOM) has made it possible to extend the working frequency band of a phase-locked loop system for laser stabilisation to several hundred kilohertz. We demonstrate that the KTP-based EOM is sufficiently sensitive even at a small optical length, which allows it to be readily integrated into cavities of femtosecond fibre lasers with high mode frequency spacings (over 100 MHz). (extrememore » light fields and their applications)« less

  16. A review of recent advances in optical fibre sensors for in vivo dosimetry during radiotherapy

    PubMed Central

    O'Keeffe, S; McCarthy, D; Woulfe, P; Grattan, M W D; Hounsell, A R; Sporea, D; Mihai, L; Vata, I; Leen, G

    2015-01-01

    This article presents an overview of the recent developments and requirements in radiotherapy dosimetry, with particular emphasis on the development of optical fibre dosemeters for radiotherapy applications, focusing particularly on in vivo applications. Optical fibres offer considerable advantages over conventional techniques for radiotherapy dosimetry, owing to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences, and suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based dosemeters, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive and thus particularly suited to in vivo dosimetry. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, for example, for brachytherapy treatments, the optical fibres could be placed in the tumour itself or into nearby critical tissues requiring monitoring, via the same applicators or needles used for the treatment delivery thereby providing real-time dosimetric information. The article outlines the principal sensor design systems along with some of the main strengths and weaknesses associated with the development of these techniques. The successful demonstration of these sensors in a range of different clinical environments is also presented. PMID:25761212

  17. Space Gator: a giant leap for fiber optic sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evenblij, R. S.; Leijtens, J. A. P.

    2017-11-01

    Fibre Optic Sensing is a rapidly growing application field for Photonics Integrated Circuits (PIC) technology. PIC technology is regarded enabling for required performances and miniaturization of next generation fibre optic sensing instrumentation. So far a number of Application Specific Photonics Integrated Circuits (ASPIC) based interrogator systems have been realized as operational system-on-chip devices. These circuits have shown that all basic building blocks are working and complete interrogator on chip solutions can be produced. Within the Saristu (FP7) project several high reliability solutions for fibre optic sensing in Aeronautics are being developed, combining the specifically required performance aspects for the different sensing applications: damage detection, impact detection, load monitoring and shape sensing (including redundancy aspects and time division features). Further developments based on devices and taking into account specific space requirements (like radiation aspects) will lead to the Space Gator, which is a radiation tolerant highly integrated Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) interrogator on chip. Once developed and qualified the Space Gator will be a giant leap for fibre optic sensing in future space applications.

  18. Strain and ground-motion monitoring at magmatic areas: ultra-long and ultra-dense networks using fibre optic sensing systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jousset, Philippe; Reinsch, Thomas; Henninges, Jan; Blanck, Hanna; Ryberg, Trond

    2016-04-01

    The fibre optic distributed acoustic sensing technology (DAS) is a "new" sensing system for exploring earth crustal elastic properties and monitoring both strain and seismic waves with unprecedented acquisition characteristics. The DAS technology principle lies in sending successive and coherent pulses of light in an optical fibre and measuring the back-scattered light issued from elastic scattering at random defaults within the fibre. The read-out unit includes an interferometer, which measures light interference patterns continuously. The changes are related to the distance between such defaults and therefore the strain within the fibre can be detected. Along an optical fibre, DAS can be used to acquire acoustic signals with a high spatial (every meter over kilometres) and high temporal resolution (thousand of Hz). Fibre optic technologies were, up to now, mainly applied in perimeter surveillance applications and pipeline monitoring and in boreholes. Previous experiments in boreholes have shown that the DAS technology is well suited for probing subsurface elastic properties, showing new ways for cheaper VSP investigations of the Earth crust. Here, we demonstrate that a cable deployed at ground surface can also help in exploring subsurface properties at crustal scale and monitor earthquake activity in a volcanic environment. Within the framework of the EC funded project IMAGE, we observed a >15 km-long fibre optic cable at the surface connected to a DAS read-out unit. Acoustic data was acquired continuously for 9 days. Hammer shots were performed along the surface cable in order to locate individual acoustic traces and calibrate the spatial distribution of the acoustic information. During the monitoring period both signals from on- and offshore explosive sources and natural seismic events could be recorded. We compare the fibre optic data to conventional seismic records from a dense seismic network deployed on Reykjanes. We show that we can probe and monitor earth crust subsurface with dense acquisition of the ground motion, both in space and in time and over a broad band frequency range.

  19. Optical fibres in pre-detector signal processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flinn, A. R.

    The basic form of conventional electro-optic sensors is described. The main drawback of these sensors is their inability to deal with the background radiation which usually accompanies the signal. This 'clutter' limits the sensors performance long before other noise such as 'shot' noise. Pre-detector signal processing using the complex amplitude of the light is introduced as a means to discriminate between the signal and 'clutter'. Further improvements to predetector signal processors can be made by the inclusion of optical fibres allowing radiation to be used with greater efficiency and enabling certain signal processing tasks to be carried out with an ease unequalled by any other method. The theory of optical waveguides and their application in sensors, interferometers, and signal processors is reviewed. Geometrical aspects of the formation of linear and circular interference fringes are described along with temporal and spatial coherence theory and their relationship to Michelson's visibility function. The requirements for efficient coupling of a source into singlemode and multimode fibres are given. We describe interference experiments between beams of light emitted from a few metres of two or more, singlemode or multimode, optical fibres. Fresnel's equation is used to obtain expressions for Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction patterns which enable electro-optic (E-0) sensors to be analysed by Fourier optics. Image formation is considered when the aperture plane of an E-0 sensor is illuminated with partially coherent light. This allows sensors to be designed using optical transfer functions which are sensitive to the spatial coherence of the illuminating light. Spatial coherence sensors which use gratings as aperture plane reticles are discussed. By using fibre arrays, spatial coherence processing enables E-0 sensors to discriminate between a spatially coherent source and an incoherent background. The sensors enable the position and wavelength of the source to be determined. Experiments are described which use optical fibre arrays as masks for correlation with spatial distributions of light in image planes of E-0 sensors. Correlations between laser light from different points in a scene is investigated by interfering the light emitted from an array of fibres, placed in the image plane of a sensor, with each other. Temporal signal processing experiments show that the visibility of interference fringes gives information about path differences in a scene or through an optical system. Most E-0 sensors employ wavelength filtering of the detected radiation to improve their discrimination and this is shown to be less selective than temporal coherence filtering which is sensitive to spectral bandwidth. Experiments using fibre interferometers to discriminate between red and blue laser light by their bandwidths are described. In most cases the path difference need only be a few tens of centimetres. We consider spatial and temporal coherence in fibres. We show that high visibility interference fringes can be produced by red and blue laser light transmitted through over 100 metres of singlemode or multimode fibre. The effect of detector size, relative to speckle size, is considered for fringes produced by multimode fibres. The effect of dispersion on the coherence of the light emitted from fibres is considered in terms of correlation and interference between modes. We describe experiments using a spatial light modulator called SIGHT-MOD. The device is used in various systems as a fibre optic switch and as a programmable aperture plane reticle. The contrast of the device is measured using red and green, HeNe, sources. Fourier transform images of patterns on the SIGHT-MOD are obtained and used to demonstrate the geometrical manipulation of images using 2D fibre arrays. Correlation of Fourier transform images of the SIGHT-MOD with 2D fibre arrays is demonstrated.

  20. Non-disturbing optical power monitor for links in the visible spectrum using a polymer optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ribeiro, Ricardo M.; Freitas, Taiane A. M. G.; Barbero, Andrés P. L.; Silva, Vinicius N. H.

    2015-08-01

    We describe a simple and inexpensive inline optical power monitor (OPMo) for polymer optical fibre (POF) links that are transmitting visible light carriers. The OPMo is non-invasive in the sense that it does not tap any guided light from the fibre core; rather, it collects and detects the spontaneous side-scattered light. Indeed, the OPMo indicates whether a POF transmission link has dark or live status and measures the average optical power level of the propagating signals without disconnecting the fibre link. This paper demonstrates the proof-of-principle of the device for one wavelength at a time, selected from a set of previously calibrated wavelength channels which have been found in the 45 dB dynamic range, with 50 dBm sensitivity or insensitivity by the use or non-use of a mode scrambler. Our findings are very promising milestones for further OPMo development towards the marketplace.

  1. Inverse four-wave-mixing and self-parametric amplification effect in optical fibre

    PubMed Central

    Turitsyn, Sergei K.; Bednyakova, Anastasia E.; Fedoruk, Mikhail P.; Papernyi, Serguei B.; Clements, Wallace R.L.

    2015-01-01

    An important group of nonlinear processes in optical fibre involves the mixing of four waves due to the intensity dependence of the refractive index. It is customary to distinguish between nonlinear effects that require external/pumping waves (cross-phase modulation and parametric processes such as four-wave mixing) and self-action of the propagating optical field (self-phase modulation and modulation instability). Here, we present a new nonlinear self-action effect, self-parametric amplification (SPA), which manifests itself as optical spectrum narrowing in normal dispersion fibre, leading to very stable propagation with a distinctive spectral distribution. The narrowing results from an inverse four-wave mixing, resembling an effective parametric amplification of the central part of the spectrum by energy transfer from the spectral tails. SPA and the observed stable nonlinear spectral propagation with random temporal waveform can find applications in optical communications and high power fibre lasers with nonlinear intra-cavity dynamics. PMID:26345290

  2. A versatile fibre optic sensor interrogation system for the Ariane Launcher based on an electro-optically tuneable laser diode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Plattner, M. P.; Hirth, F.; Müller, M. S.; Hoffmann, L.; Buck, T. C.; Koch, A. W.

    2017-11-01

    Availability of reliable flight sensor data and knowledge of the structural behaviour are essential for safe operation of the Ariane launcher. The Ariane launcher is currently monitored by hundreds of electric sensors during test and qualification. Fibre optic sensors are regarded as a potential technique to overcome limitations of recent monitoring systems for the Ariane launcher [1]. These limitations include cumbersome application of sensors and harness as well as a very limited degree of distributed sensing capability. But, in order to exploit the various advantages of fibre optic sensors (high degree of multiplexing, distributed sensing capability, lower mass impact, etc.) dedicated measurement systems have to be developed and investigated. State-of-the-art fibre optic measurement systems often use free beam setups making them bulky and sensitive to vibration impact. Therefore a new measurement system is developed as part of the ESAstudy [2].

  3. Brillouin light scattering from surface acoustic waves in a subwavelength-diameter optical fibre

    PubMed Central

    Beugnot, Jean-Charles; Lebrun, Sylvie; Pauliat, Gilles; Maillotte, Hervé; Laude, Vincent; Sylvestre, Thibaut

    2014-01-01

    Brillouin scattering in optical fibres is a fundamental interaction between light and sound with important implications ranging from optical sensors to slow and fast light. In usual optical fibres, light both excites and feels shear and longitudinal bulk elastic waves, giving rise to forward-guided acoustic wave Brillouin scattering and backward-stimulated Brillouin scattering. In a subwavelength-diameter optical fibre, the situation changes dramatically, as we here report with the first experimental observation of Brillouin light scattering from surface acoustic waves. These Rayleigh-type surface waves travel the wire surface at a specific velocity of 3,400 m s−1 and backscatter the light with a Doppler shift of about 6 GHz. As these acoustic resonances are sensitive to surface defects or features, surface acoustic wave Brillouin scattering opens new opportunities for various sensing applications, but also in other domains such as microwave photonics and nonlinear plasmonics. PMID:25341638

  4. Optical properties study of nano-composite filled D shape photonic crystal fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Udaiyakumar, R.; Mohamed Junaid, K. A.; Janani, T.; Maheswar, R.; Yupapin, P.; Amiri, I. S.

    2018-06-01

    With the nano-composite materials gaining momentum in the optical field, a new nano-composite filled D shape Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) is designed and the various optical properties are investigated with help of Finite Element Method. In the proposed structure the D-shape PCF is made up of silica with embedded silver nanoparticles and air holes are distributed along the fibre. The designed fibre shows various optical properties such as dispersion, birefringence, beat length and loss with respect to wavelength and compared with different filling factor like 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5. From our estimation and comparative analysis, it has been proved that the fibre loss has been decreased with increasing filling factor. Further this also showed flat dispersion at maximum filling factor.

  5. Spatiotemporal multiplexing based on hexagonal multicore optical fibres

    DOE PAGES

    Chekhovskoy, I. S.; Sorokina, M. A.; Rubenchik, A. M.; ...

    2017-12-27

    Based on a genetic algorithm, we have solved in this paper the problem of finding the parameters of optical Gaussian pulses which make their efficient nonlinear combining possible in one of the peripheral cores of a 7-core hexagonal fibre. Two approaches based on individual selection of peak powers and field phases of the pulses launched into the fibre are considered. Finally, the found regimes of Gaussian pulse combining open up new possibilities for the development of devices for controlling optical radiation.

  6. FIBER AND INTEGRATED OPTICS: Efficiency of nonstationary transformation of the spatial coherence of pulsed laser radiation in a multimode optical fibre upon self-phase modulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kitsak, M. A.; Kitsak, A. I.

    2007-08-01

    The model scheme of the nonlinear mechanism of transformation (decreasing) of the spatial coherence of a pulsed laser field in an extended multimode optical fibre upon nonstationary interaction with the fibre core is theoretically analysed. The case is considered when the spatial statistics of input radiation is caused by phase fluctuations. The analytic expression is obtained which relates the number of spatially coherent radiation modes with the spatially energy parameters on the initial radiation and fibre parameters. The efficiency of decorrelation of radiation upon excitation of the thermal and electrostriction nonlinearities in the fibre is estimated. Experimental studies are performed which revealed the basic properties of the transformation of the spatial coherence of a laser beam in a multimode fibre. The experimental results are compared with the predictions of the model of radiation transfer proposed in the paper. It is found that the spatial decorrelation of a light beam in a silica multimode fibre is mainly restricted by stimulated Raman scattering.

  7. The dependence of the properties of optical fibres on length

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poppett, C. L.; Allington-Smith, J. R.

    2010-05-01

    We investigate the dependence on length of optical fibres used in astronomy, especially the focal ratio degradation (FRD) which places constraints on the performance of fibre-fed spectrographs used for multiplexed spectroscopy. To this end, we present a modified version of the FRD model proposed by Carrasco & Parry to quantify the number of scattering defects within an optical fibre using a single parameter. The model predicts many trends which are seen experimentally, for example, a decrease in FRD as core diameter increases, and also as wavelength increases. However, the model also predicts a strong dependence on FRD with length that is not seen experimentally. By adapting the single fibre model to include a second fibre, we can quantify the amount of FRD due to stress caused by the method of termination. By fitting the model to experimental data, we find that polishing the fibre causes more stress to be induced in the end of the fibre compared to a simple cleave technique. We estimate that the number of scattering defects caused by polishing is approximately double that produced by cleaving. By placing limits on the end effect, the model can be used to estimate the residual-length dependence in very long fibres, such as those required for Extremely Large Telescopes, without having to carry out costly experiments. We also use our data to compare different methods of fibre termination.

  8. Suppression of side lobes in a spectrum of fibre Bragg gratings due to the transverse displacement of phase mask with respect to the optical fibre

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abdullina, S R; Nemov, I N; Babin, Sergei A

    2012-09-30

    The possibility of apodisation of fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) recorded in the interference region of two Gaussian beams in the phase-mask scheme is considered. The FBG reflection spectra are numerically simulated for different values of recordingbeam parameters and the distance between the axes of interfering beams diffracted into different orders, which is varied by transverse displacement of the phase mask with respect to the optical fibre. Suppression of side lobes and smoothing out of the FBG spectrum with an increase in the transverse displacement of the phase mask is experimentally demonstrated. It is shown that this effect is caused bymore » the equalisation of the mean induced refractive index in the FBG region. (optical fibres, lasers and amplifiers. properties and applications)« less

  9. Optimization and thermal ASE noise characterization of an all-fibre Sagnac interferometer via LAN for sensing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sierra-Calderon, A.; Rodriguez-Novelo, J. C.; Gamez-Aviles, E.; May-Alarcon, M.; Toral-Cruz, H.; Alvarez-Chavez, J. A.

    2016-09-01

    The spectral noise characteristic and relative intensity noise of an all fibre Sagnac interferometer system consisting of a 980nm pump source at 130mW maximum output power, a 980/1550nm wavelength division multiplexer, a 10m-piece of Erbium-doped fibre, a fibre Bragg grating (FBG) centered at 1.548um, an optical circulator at 1550nm and a 50/50 fibre coupler, were measured with an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) for fine tuning for a range of temperature between 5 and 180 degrees Celsius in step of 1 degree Celsius. At the probing end, a high-bi piece of fibre and a Peltier were employed for temperature variation of the system. Spectral and temperature response of the noise reduction due to temperature variation was performed remotely using and Arduino micro-controller and a DS18B20 digital sensor, into a local area network. Full optical and thermal characterization of the system will be included in the presentation.

  10. Deformation Measurement of a Driven Pile Using Distributed Fibre-optic Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Monsberger, Christoph; Woschitz, Helmut; Hayden, Martin

    2016-03-01

    New developments in distributed fibre-optic sensing allow the measurement of strain with a very high precision of about 1 µm / m and a spatial resolution of 10 millimetres or even better. Thus, novel applications in several scientific fields may be realised, e. g. in structural monitoring or soil and rock mechanics. Especially due to the embedding capability of fibre-optic sensors, fibre-optic systems provide a valuable extension to classical geodetic measurement methods, which are limited to the surface in most cases. In this paper, we report about the application of an optical backscatter reflectometer for deformation measurements along a driven pile. In general, pile systems are used in civil engineering as an efficient and economic foundation of buildings and other structures. Especially the length of the piles is crucial for the final loading capacity. For optimization purposes, the interaction between the driven pile and the subsurface material is investigated using pile testing methods. In a field trial, we used a distributed fibre-optic sensing system for measuring the strain below the surface of an excavation pit in order to derive completely new information. Prior to the field trial, the fibre-optic sensor was investigated in the laboratory. In addition to the results of these lab studies, we briefly describe the critical process of field installation and show the most significant results from the field trial, where the pile was artificially loaded up to 800 kN. As far as we know, this is the first time that the strain is monitored along a driven pile with such a high spatial resolution.

  11. An optical channel modeling of a single mode fiber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nabavi, Neda; Liu, Peng; Hall, Trevor James

    2018-05-01

    The evaluation of the optical channel model that accurately describes the single mode fibre as a coherent transmission medium is reviewed through analytical, numerical and experimental analysis. We used the numerical modelling of the optical transmission medium and experimental measurements to determine the polarization drift as a function of time for a fixed length of fibre. The probability distribution of the birefringence vector was derived, which is associated to the 'Poole' equation. The theory and experimental evidence that has been disclosed in the literature in the context of polarization mode dispersion - Stokes & Jones formulations and solutions for key statistics by integration of stochastic differential equations has been investigated. Besides in-depth definition of the single-mode fibre-optic channel, the modelling which concerns an ensemble of fibres each with a different instance of environmental perturbation has been analysed.

  12. End effects in optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allington-Smith, Jeremy; Dunlop, Colin; Lemke, Ulrike; Murray, Graham

    2013-12-01

    The performance of highly multiplexed spectrographs is limited by focal ratio degradation (FRD) in the optical fibres. It has already been shown that this is caused mainly by processes concentrated around the mounting points at the ends of the fibres. We use the thickness of rings produced in the far-field when a fibre is illuminated by a collimated beam, to estimate the size of the region where the FRD is generated. This requires the development of a new model, using features of existing ray-tracing and wave-based models, which fits existing data very well. The results suggest that the amount of FRD is primarily determined by the length of fibre bonded into the supporting ferrule. We point out the implications for the production of future fibre systems.

  13. LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: Use of Spun optical fibres in current sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gubin, Vladimir P.; Isaev, Victor A.; Morshnev, Sergey K.; Sazonov, Aleksandr I.; Starostin, Nikolay I.; Chamorovsky, Yury K.; Oussov, Aleksey I.

    2006-03-01

    The polarisation properties of a Spun optical fibre are studied in connection with their applications in fibreoptic current sensors based on the Faraday effect. A model of this fibre is proposed which represents it as an anisotropic medium with the spiral structure of the fast and slow birefringence axes. A sensor is developed based on an all-fibre low-coherence linear interferometer with a threshold sensitivity of 70 mA Hz-1/2, a maximum measured current of 3000 A, and a scale-factor reproducibility of ±0.6%. It is found that for a given diameter of the fibre contour, the normalised sensitivity is independent of the fibre length. The experimental results confirm the theory.

  14. Fiber-optic hydrophone array for acoustic surveillance in the littoral

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hill, David; Nash, Phillip

    2005-05-01

    We describe a fibre-optic hydrophone array system architecture that can be tailored to meet the underwater acoustic surveillance requirements of the military, counter terrorist and customs authorities in protecting ports and harbours, offshore production facilities or coastal approaches. Physically the fibre-optic hydrophone array is in the form of a lightweight cable, enabling rapid deployment from a small vessel. Based upon an optical architecture of time and wavelength multiplexed interferometric hydrophones, the array is comprised of a series of hydrophone sub-arrays. Using multiple sub-arrays, extended perimeters many tens of kilometres in length can be monitored. Interrogated via a long (~50km) optical fibre data link, the acoustic date is processed using the latest open architecture sonar processing platform, ensuring that acoustic targets below, on and above the surface are detected, tracked and classified. Results obtained from an at sea trial of a 96-channel hydrophone array are given, showing the passive detection and tracking of a diver, small surface craft and big ocean going ships beyond the horizon. Furthermore, we describe how the OptaMarine fibre-optic hydrophone array fits into an integrated multi-layered approach to port and harbour security consisting of active sonar for diver detection and hull imaging, as well as thermal imaging and CCTV for surface monitoring. Finally, we briefly describe a complimentary land perimeter intruder detection system consisting of an array of fibre optic accelerometers.

  15. Lamb-Dicke spectroscopy of atoms in a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre

    PubMed Central

    Okaba, Shoichi; Takano, Tetsushi; Benabid, Fetah; Bradley, Tom; Vincetti, Luca; Maizelis, Zakhar; Yampol'skii, Valery; Nori, Franco; Katori, Hidetoshi

    2014-01-01

    Unlike photons, which are conveniently handled by mirrors and optical fibres without loss of coherence, atoms lose their coherence via atom–atom and atom–wall interactions. This decoherence of atoms deteriorates the performance of atomic clocks and magnetometers, and also hinders their miniaturization. Here we report a novel platform for precision spectroscopy. Ultracold strontium atoms inside a kagome-lattice hollow-core photonic crystal fibre are transversely confined by an optical lattice to prevent atoms from interacting with the fibre wall. By confining at most one atom in each lattice site, to avoid atom–atom interactions and Doppler effect, a 7.8-kHz-wide spectrum is observed for the 1S0−3P1(m=0) transition. Atoms singly trapped in a magic lattice in hollow-core photonic crystal fibres improve the optical depth while preserving atomic coherence time. PMID:24934478

  16. Towards a new generation of fibre optic chemical sensors based on spider silk threads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hey Tow, Kenny; Chow, Desmond M.; Vollrath, Fritz; Dicaire, Isabelle; Gheysens, Tom; Thévenaz, Luc

    2017-04-01

    A spider uses up to seven different types of silk, all having specific functions, to build its web. For scientists, native silk - directly extracted from spiders - is a tough, biodegradable and biocompatible thread used mainly for tissue engineering and textile applications. Blessed with outstanding optical properties, this protein strand can also be used as an optical fibre and is, moreover, intrinsically sensitive to chemical compounds. In this communication, a pioneering proof-of-concept experiment using spider silk, in its pristine condition, as a new type of fibre-optic relative humidity sensor will be demonstrated and its potential for future applications discussed.

  17. Effects of time-temperature profiles on glow curves of germanium-doped optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lam, S. E.; Alawiah, A.; Bradley, D. A.; Mohd Noor, N.

    2017-08-01

    The Germanium (Ge) doped silica optical fibres have demonstrated the great potential to be developed as a thermoluminescent (TL) dosimeter that can be used in various applications in radiotherapy, diagnostic radiology, UV dosimetry system and food irradiation industry. Different time-temperature profile (TTP) parameters of the TL reader have been employed by many researchers in various of TL studies. Nevertheless, none of those studies adequately addressed the effects of the reader's preheat temperature and heating rate on the kinetic parameters of the TL glow curve specifically, the Ge-doped silica optical fibres. This research addresses the issue of TTP parameters with special attention to the determination of the kinetic parameters of the glow curve. The glow curve responses were explored and the kinetic parameters were analyzed by the WinGCF software, to show the effect of the preheat temperature and heating rate of the reader on Ge-doped fibre irradiated with 18 Gy of 6 MV photons radiation. The effect of TTP parameters was discussed and compared against the commercial fibre and tailored made fibre of 6 mol% Ge-doped of flat and cylindrical shape. The deconvolution of glow peaks and the kinetic parameters were obtained by the WinGCF software. This enables to fit accurately (1.5%

  18. AlGaInN laser diode technology for free-space and plastic optical fibre telecom applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Najda, S. P.; Perlin, P.; Suski, T.; Marona, L.; Bóckowski, M.; Leszczyński, M.; Wisniewski, P.; Czernecki, R.; Kucharski, R.; Targowski, G.; Watson, S.; Kelly, A. E.; Watson, M. A.; Blanchard, P.; White, H.

    2016-03-01

    Gallium Nitride laser diodes fabricated from the AlGaInN material system is an emerging technology for laser sources from the UV to visible and is a potential key enabler for new system applications such as free-space (underwater & air bourne links) and plastic optical fibre telecommunications. We measure visible light (free-space and underwater) communications at high frequency (up to 2.5 Gbit/s) and in plastic optical fibre (POF) using a directly modulated GaN laser diode.

  19. Helically twisted photonic crystal fibres

    PubMed Central

    Beravat, R.; Wong, G. K. L.

    2017-01-01

    Recent theoretical and experimental work on helically twisted photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) is reviewed. Helical Bloch theory is introduced, including a new formalism based on the tight-binding approximation. It is used to explore and explain a variety of unusual effects that appear in a range of different twisted PCFs, including fibres with a single core and fibres with N cores arranged in a ring around the fibre axis. We discuss a new kind of birefringence that causes the propagation constants of left- and right-spinning optical vortices to be non-degenerate for the same order of orbital angular momentum (OAM). Topological effects, arising from the twisted periodic ‘space’, cause light to spiral around the fibre axis, with fascinating consequences, including the appearance of dips in the transmission spectrum and low loss guidance in coreless PCF. Discussing twisted fibres with a single off-axis core, we report that optical activity in a PCF is opposite in sign to that seen in a step-index fibre. Fabrication techniques are briefly described and emerging applications reviewed. The analytical results of helical Bloch theory are verified by an extensive series of ‘numerical experiments’ based on finite-element solutions of Maxwell's equations in a helicoidal frame. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Optical orbital angular momentum’. PMID:28069771

  20. Helically twisted photonic crystal fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russell, P. St. J.; Beravat, R.; Wong, G. K. L.

    2017-02-01

    Recent theoretical and experimental work on helically twisted photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) is reviewed. Helical Bloch theory is introduced, including a new formalism based on the tight-binding approximation. It is used to explore and explain a variety of unusual effects that appear in a range of different twisted PCFs, including fibres with a single core and fibres with N cores arranged in a ring around the fibre axis. We discuss a new kind of birefringence that causes the propagation constants of left- and right-spinning optical vortices to be non-degenerate for the same order of orbital angular momentum (OAM). Topological effects, arising from the twisted periodic `space', cause light to spiral around the fibre axis, with fascinating consequences, including the appearance of dips in the transmission spectrum and low loss guidance in coreless PCF. Discussing twisted fibres with a single off-axis core, we report that optical activity in a PCF is opposite in sign to that seen in a step-index fibre. Fabrication techniques are briefly described and emerging applications reviewed. The analytical results of helical Bloch theory are verified by an extensive series of `numerical experiments' based on finite-element solutions of Maxwell's equations in a helicoidal frame. This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.

  1. Numerical modelling of multimode fibre-optic communication lines

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sidelnikov, O S; Fedoruk, M P; Sygletos, S

    The results of numerical modelling of nonlinear propagation of an optical signal in multimode fibres with a small differential group delay are presented. It is found that the dependence of the error vector magnitude (EVM) on the differential group delay can be reduced by increasing the number of ADC samples per symbol in the numerical implementation of the differential group delay compensation algorithm in the receiver. The possibility of using multimode fibres with a small differential group delay for data transmission in modern digital communication systems is demonstrated. It is shown that with increasing number of modes the strong couplingmore » regime provides a lower EVM level than the weak coupling one. (fibre-optic communication lines)« less

  2. Quantitatively characterizing microstructural variations of skin tissues during ultraviolet radiation damaging process based on Mueller matrix polarimetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheng, Wei; He, Honghui; Dong, Yang; Ma, Hui

    2018-02-01

    As one of the most fundamental features of light, polarization can be used to develop imaging techniques which can provide insight into the optical and structural properties of tissues. Especially, the Mueller matrix polarimetry is suitable to detect the changes in collagen and elastic fibres, which are the main compositions of skin tissue. Here we demonstrate a novel quantitative, non-contact and in situ technique to monitor the microstructural variations of skin tissue during ultraviolet radiation (UVR) induced photoaging based on Mueller matrix polarimetry. Specifically, we measure the twodimensional (2D) backscattering Mueller matrices of nude mouse skin samples, then calculate and analyze the Mueller matrix derived parameters during the skin photoaging and self-repairing processes. To induce three-day skin photoaging, the back skin of each mouse is irradiated with UVR (0.05J/cm2) for five minutes per day. After UVR, the microstructures of the nude mouse skin are damaged. During the process of UV damage, we measure the backscattering Mueller matrices of the mouse skin samples and examine the relationship between the Mueller matrix parameters and the microstructural variations of skin tissue quantitatively. The comparisons between the UVR damaged groups with and without sunscreens show that the Mueller matrix derived parameters are potential indicators for fibrous microstructure variation in skin tissue. The pathological examinations and Monte Carlo simulations confirm the relationship between the values of Mueller matrix parameters and the changes of fibrous structures. Combined with smart phones or wearable devices, this technique may have a good application prospect in the fields of cosmetics and dermatological health.

  3. Three-dimensional holographic optical manipulation through a high-numerical-aperture soft-glass multimode fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leite, Ivo T.; Turtaev, Sergey; Jiang, Xin; Šiler, Martin; Cuschieri, Alfred; Russell, Philip St. J.; Čižmár, Tomáš

    2018-01-01

    Holographic optical tweezers (HOT) hold great promise for many applications in biophotonics, allowing the creation and measurement of minuscule forces on biomolecules, molecular motors and cells. Geometries used in HOT currently rely on bulk optics, and their exploitation in vivo is compromised by the optically turbid nature of tissues. We present an alternative HOT approach in which multiple three-dimensional (3D) traps are introduced through a high-numerical-aperture multimode optical fibre, thus enabling an equally versatile means of manipulation through channels having cross-section comparable to the size of a single cell. Our work demonstrates real-time manipulation of 3D arrangements of micro-objects, as well as manipulation inside otherwise inaccessible cavities. We show that the traps can be formed over fibre lengths exceeding 100 mm and positioned with nanometric resolution. The results provide the basis for holographic manipulation and other high-numerical-aperture techniques, including advanced microscopy, through single-core-fibre endoscopes deep inside living tissues and other complex environments.

  4. A flowing liquid test system for assessing the linearity and time-response of rapid fibre optic oxygen partial pressure sensors.

    PubMed

    Chen, R; Hahn, C E W; Farmery, A D

    2012-08-15

    The development of a methodology for testing the time response, linearity and performance characteristics of ultra fast fibre optic oxygen sensors in the liquid phase is presented. Two standard medical paediatric oxygenators are arranged to provide two independent extracorporeal circuits. Flow from either circuit can be diverted over the sensor under test by means of a system of rapid cross-over solenoid valves exposing the sensor to an abrupt change in oxygen partial pressure, P O2. The system is also capable of testing the oxygen sensor responses to changes in temperature, carbon dioxide partial pressure P CO2 and pH in situ. Results are presented for a miniature fibre optic oxygen sensor constructed in-house with a response time ≈ 50 ms and a commercial fibre optic sensor (Ocean Optics Foxy), when tested in flowing saline and stored blood. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Fatigue Damage Monitoring of a Composite Step Lap Joint Using Distributed Optical Fibre Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Wong, Leslie; Chowdhury, Nabil; Wang, John; Chiu, Wing Kong; Kodikara, Jayantha

    2016-01-01

    Over the past few decades, there has been a considerable interest in the use of distributed optical fibre sensors (DOFS) for structural health monitoring of composite structures. In aerospace-related work, health monitoring of the adhesive joints of composites has become more significant, as they can suffer from cracking and delamination, which can have a significant impact on the integrity of the joint. In this paper, a swept-wavelength interferometry (SWI) based DOFS technique is used to monitor the fatigue in a flush step lap joint composite structure. The presented results will show the potential application of distributed optical fibre sensor for damage detection, as well as monitoring the fatigue crack growth along the bondline of a step lap joint composite structure. The results confirmed that a distributed optical fibre sensor is able to enhance the detection of localised damage in a structure. PMID:28773496

  6. Programmable logic controller optical fibre sensor interface module

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allwood, Gary; Wild, Graham; Hinckley, Steven

    2011-12-01

    Most automated industrial processes use Distributed Control Systems (DCSs) or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) for automated control. PLCs tend to be more common as they have much of the functionality of DCSs, although they are generally cheaper to install and maintain. PLCs in conjunction with a human machine interface form the basis of Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, combined with communication infrastructure and Remote Terminal Units (RTUs). RTU's basically convert different sensor measurands in to digital data that is sent back to the PLC or supervisory system. Optical fibre sensors are becoming more common in industrial processes because of their many advantageous properties. Being small, lightweight, highly sensitive, and immune to electromagnetic interference, means they are an ideal solution for a variety of diverse sensing applications. Here, we have developed a PLC Optical Fibre Sensor Interface Module (OFSIM), in which an optical fibre is connected directly to the OFSIM located next to the PLC. The embedded fibre Bragg grating sensors, are highly sensitive and can detect a number of different measurands such as temperature, pressure and strain without the need for a power supply.

  7. Low temperature growth of diamond films on optical fibers using Linear Antenna CVD system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ficek, M.; Drijkoningen, S.; Karczewski, J.; Bogdanowicz, R.; Haenen, K.

    2016-01-01

    It is not trivial to achieve a good quality diamond-coated fibre interface due to a large difference in the properties and composition of the diamond films (or use coating even) and the optical fibre material, i.e. fused silica. One of the biggest problems is the high temperature during the deposition which influences the optical fibre or optical fibre sensor structure (e.g. long-period gratings (LPG)). The greatest advantage of a linear antenna microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system (LA MW CVD) is the fact that it allows to grow the diamond layers at low temperature (below 300°C) [1]. High quality nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) thin films with thicknesses ranging from 70 nm to 150 nm, were deposited on silicon, glass and optical fibre substrates [2]. Substrates pretreatment by dip-coating and spin coating process with a dispersion consisting of detonation nanodiamond (DND) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has been applied. During the deposition process the continuous mode of operation of the LA MW CVD system was used, which produces a continuous wave at a maximum power of 1.9 kW (in each antenna). Diamond films on optical fibres were obtained at temperatures below 350°C, providing a clear improvement of results compared to our earlier work [3]. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging to investigate the morphology of the nanocrystalline diamond films. The film growth rate, film thickness, and optical properties in the VIS-NIR range, i.e. refractive index and extinction coefficient will be discussed based on measurements on reference quartz plates by using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE).

  8. Strain development in curing epoxy resin and glass fibre/epoxy composites monitored by fibre Bragg grating sensors in birefringent optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chehura, E.; Skordos, A. A.; Ye, C.-C.; James, S. W.; Partridge, I. K.; Tatam, R. P.

    2005-04-01

    Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) fabricated in linearly birefringent fibres were embedded in glass fibre/epoxy composites and in the corresponding unreinforced resin to monitor the effective transverse strain development during the cure process. The optical fibres containing the FBG sensors were aligned either normal or parallel to the reinforcement fibres in unidirectional glass fibre/epoxy prepregs. The chemical cure kinetics of the epoxy resin system used were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, in order to investigate the correlation between the strain monitoring results and the evolution of the curing reaction. A non-parametric cure kinetics model was developed and validated for this purpose. The effective transverse strain measured by the FBGs demonstrated high sensitivity to the degree of cure as a result of the densification of the resin caused by the curing reaction. The effective compressive transverse strain developed during the reaction, and thus the corresponding sensitivity to chemical changes, was higher in the case of the sensing fibre aligned normal to the reinforcement fibres than in the case of the sensor fibre parallel to the reinforcement fibres. Small but measurable sensitivity to cure induced changes was observed in the case of the unreinforced resin.

  9. Optically Tuned Fiber Gratings

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-03-01

    why we use a bulk polarization beam splitter . The fibre grating length was 50 cm with centre wavelength at 1550 nm. Fig.8 shows results of the...characteristics of glasses with enhanced non -linearity. In accordance with the specification, a fiber grating should be tuned within the range of 1...intensity pulse and has successfully demonstrated optically-tuned fiber grating. 19980617 115 14. SUBJECT TERMS Fibre Optics, Non -linear Optical

  10. Research on horizontal displacement monitoring of deep soil based on a distributed optical fibre sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Xiaodi; Wang, Yuan; Sun, Yangyang; Zhang, Qinghua; Zhang, Zhenglin; You, Zewei; Ma, Yuan

    2018-01-01

    The traditional measurement method for the horizontal displacement of deep soil usually uses an inclinometer for piecewise measurement and then generates an artificial reading, which takes a long time and often contains errors; in addition, the anti-jamming and long-term stability of the inclinometer is poor. In this paper, a technique for monitoring horizontal displacement based on distributed optical fibres is introduced. The relationship between the strain and the deflection was described by a theoretical model, and the strain distribution of the inclinometer tube was measured by the cables laid on its surface so that the deflection of the inclinometer tube could be calculated by the difference algorithm and regarded as the horizontal displacement of deep soil. The horizontal displacement monitoring technology of deep soil based on distributed optical fibre sensors developed in this paper not only overcame the shortcomings of traditional inclinometer technology to realize automatic real-time monitoring but also allowed for distributed measurement. The experiment was similar to the expected engineering situations, and the deflection calculated from the strain was compared with an inclinometer. The results demonstrated that the relative error between the distributed optical fibre sensors and the inclinometer was less than 8.0%, and the results also verified both the feasibility of using distributed optical fibre to monitor the horizontal displacement of soil as well as the rationality of the theoretical model and difference algorithm. The application of distributed optical fibre in monitoring the horizontal displacement of deep soil in the engineering of foundation pits and slopes can more accurately evaluate the safety of engineering during construction.

  11. Fibre optic sensors for temperature and pressure monitoring in laser ablation: experiments on ex-vivo animal model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tosi, Daniele; Saccomandi, Paola; Schena, Emiliano; Duraibabu, Dinesh B.; Poeggel, Sven; Adilzhan, Abzal; Aliakhmet, Kamilla; Silvestri, Sergio; Leen, Gabriel; Lewis, Elfed

    2016-05-01

    Optical fibre sensors have been applied to perform biophysical measurement in ex-vivo laser ablation (LA), on pancreas animal phantom. Experiments have been performed using Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) arrays for spatially resolved temperature detection, and an all-glass Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer (EFPI) for pressure measurement. Results using a Nd:YAG laser source as ablation device, are presented and discussed.

  12. 7 CFR 1755.901 - Incorporation by Reference.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., Digital Systems and Networks, Transmission media characteristics—Optical fibre cables, Characteristics of... Systems and Media, Digital Systems and Networks, Transmission media characteristics—Optical fibre cables... National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of these materials...

  13. Self-Sensing Composites: In-Situ Detection of Fibre Fracture

    PubMed Central

    Malik, Shoaib A.; Wang, Liwei; Curtis, Paul T.; Fernando, Gerard F.

    2016-01-01

    The primary load-bearing component in a composite material is the reinforcing fibres. This paper reports on a technique to study the fracture of individual reinforcing fibres or filaments in real-time. Custom-made small-diameter optical fibres with a diameter of 12 (±2) micrometres were used to detect the fracture of individual filaments during tensile loading of unreinforced bundles and composites. The unimpregnated bundles were end-tabbed and tensile tested to failure. A simple technique based on resin-infusion was developed to manufacture composites with a negligible void content. In both cases, optical fibre connectors were attached to the ends of the small-diameter optical fibre bundles to enable light to be coupled into the bundle via one end whilst the opposite end was photographed using a high-speed camera. The feasibility of detecting the fracture of each of the filaments in the bundle and composite was demonstrated. The in-situ damage detection technique was also applied to E-glass bundles and composites; this will be reported in a subsequent publication. PMID:27136555

  14. Tunable error-free optical frequency conversion of a 4ps optical short pulse over 25 nm by four-wave mixing in a polarisation-maintaining optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morioka, T.; Kawanishi, S.; Saruwatari, M.

    1994-05-01

    Error-free, tunable optical frequency conversion of a transform-limited 4.0 ps optical pulse signalis demonstrated at 6.3 Gbit/s using four-wave mixing in a polarization-maintaining optical fibre. The process generates 4.0-4.6 ps pulses over a 25nm range with time-bandwidth products of 0.31-0.43 and conversion power penalties of less than 1.5 dB.

  15. Hermes: the engineering challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brzeski, Jurek; Gers, Luke; Smith, Greg; Staszak, Nicholas

    2012-09-01

    The Australian Astronomical Observatory is building a 4-channel VPH-grating High Efficiency and Resolution Multi Element Spectrograph (HERMES) for the 3.9 meter Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). HERMES will provide a nominal spectral resolving power of 28,000 for Galactic Archaeology with an optional high-resolution mode of 45,000 with the use of a slit mask. HERMES is fed by a fibre positioning robot called 2dF at the telescope prime focus. There are a total of 784 science fibres, which interface with the spectrograph via two separate slit body assemblies, each comprising of 392 science fibers. The slit defines the spectral lines of 392 fibres on the detector. The width of the detector determines the spectral bandwidth and the detector height determines the fibre to fibre spacing or cross talk. Tolerances that follow from this are all in the 10 micrometer range. The slit relay optics must contribute negligibly to the overall image quality budget and uniformly illuminate the spectrograph exit pupil. The latter requirement effectively requires that the relay optics provide a telecentric input at the collimator entrance slit. As a result it is critical to align the optical components to extreme precision required by the optical design. This paper discusses the engineering challenges of designing, optimising, tolerancing and manufacturing of very precise mechanical components for housing optics and the design of low cost of jigs and fixtures for alignment and assembly of the optics.

  16. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dosimetry system and the use of Ge-doped silica optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdul Rahman, Ahmad Taufek; Abu Bakar, Noor Khairunnisa; Chandra Paul, Mukul; Bradley, D. A.

    2014-11-01

    Previous studies have shown that over exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), either from sunlight or artificial sources, can cause severe biological effects including cataracts, photokeratitis and skin cancer. In this respect, there exists the need to introduce a sensitive UV dosimetric material capable of measuring radiation dose to high accuracy in order to deliver UVR safely and efficiently. Present study has focussed on the investigation of the potential thermoluminescent (TL) sensitivity of commercially available germanium (Ge)-doped silica (SiO2) optical fibres subjected to UVR. The main interest of this study is to find out whether these doped SiO2 optical fibres can be used as a sensible integrator of environmental UV exposures. In the present study, commercially available Ge-doped SiO2 optical fibres have been used with a core diameter of 11 μm (CorActive, Canada), 23 μm (Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute Kolkata, India) and 50 μm (Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute Kolkata, India) and a cladding diameter of 125±0.1 μm, irradiated over a wide range of UV dose. Results have shown that these fibres exhibit a linear dose response (with correlation coefficient better than 0.9852). The 50 μm fibre produces greater TL response than that obtained for 11- and 23 μm fibres. The TL results are compared with that of the well-established TL dosimeter material lithium fluoride.

  17. Writing and applications of fiber Bragg grating arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaRochelle, Sophie; Cortes, Pierre-Yves; Fathallah, H.; Rusch, Leslie A.; Jaafar, H. B.

    2000-12-01

    Multiple Bragg gratings are written in a single fibre strand with accurate positioning to achieve predetermined time delays between optical channels. Applications of fibre Bragg grating arrays include encoders/decoders with series of identical gratings for optical code-division multiple access.

  18. SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Semiconductor-laser Fourier processors of electric signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blok, A. S.; Bukhenskii, A. F.; Krupitskii, É. I.; Morozov, S. V.; Pelevin, V. Yu; Sergeenko, T. N.; Yakovlev, V. I.

    1995-10-01

    An investigation is reported of acousto-optical and fibre-optic Fourier processors of electric signals, based on semiconductor lasers. A description is given of practical acousto-optical processors with an analysis band 120 MHz wide, a resolution of 200 kHz, and 7 cm × 8 cm × 18 cm dimensions. Fibre-optic Fourier processors are considered: they represent a new class of devices which are promising for the processing of gigahertz signals.

  19. Histological evidence for a supraspinous ligament in sauropod dinosaurs

    PubMed Central

    Cerda, Ignacio A.; Casal, Gabriel A.; Martinez, Rubén D.; Ibiricu, Lucio M.

    2015-01-01

    Supraspinous ossified rods have been reported in the sacra of some derived sauropod dinosaurs. Although different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the origin of this structure, histological evidence has never been provided to support or reject any of them. In order to establish its origin, we analyse and characterize the microstructure of the supraspinous rod of two sauropod dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina. The supraspinous ossified rod is almost entirely formed by dense Haversian bone. Remains of primary bone consist entirely of an avascular tissue composed of two types of fibre-like structures, which are coarse and longitudinally (parallel to the main axis of the element) oriented. These structures are differentiated on the basis of their optical properties under polarized light. Very thin fibrous strands are also observed in some regions. These small fibres are all oriented parallel to one another but perpendicular to the element main axis. Histological features of the primary bone tissue indicate that the sacral supraspinous rod corresponds to an ossified supraspinous ligament. The formation of this structure appears to have been a non-pathological metaplastic ossification, possibly induced by the continuous tensile forces applied to the element. PMID:26587248

  20. 3-D optical profilometry at micron scale with multi-frequency fringe projection using modified fibre optic Lloyd's mirror technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inanç, Arda; Kösoğlu, Gülşen; Yüksel, Heba; Naci Inci, Mehmet

    2018-06-01

    A new fibre optic Lloyd's mirror method is developed for extracting 3-D height distribution of various objects at the micron scale with a resolution of 4 μm. The fibre optic assembly is elegantly integrated to an optical microscope and a CCD camera. It is demonstrated that the proposed technique is quite suitable and practical to produce an interference pattern with an adjustable frequency. By increasing the distance between the fibre and the mirror with a micrometre stage in the Lloyd's mirror assembly, the separation between the two bright fringes is lowered down to the micron scale without using any additional elements as part of the optical projection unit. A fibre optic cable, whose polymer jacket is partially stripped, and a microfluidic channel are used as test objects to extract their surface topographies. Point by point sensitivity of the method is found to be around 8 μm, changing a couple of microns depending on the fringe frequency and the measured height. A straightforward calibration procedure for the phase to height conversion is also introduced by making use of the vertical moving stage of the optical microscope. The phase analysis of the acquired image is carried out by One Dimensional Continuous Wavelet Transform for which the chosen wavelet is the Morlet wavelet and the carrier removal of the projected fringe patterns is achieved by reference subtraction. Furthermore, flexible multi-frequency property of the proposed method allows measuring discontinuous heights where there are phase ambiguities like 2π by lowering the fringe frequency and eliminating the phase ambiguity.

  1. Propagation of polarised light in bent hi-bi spun fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Przhiyalkovsky, Ya V.; Morshnev, S. K.; Starostin, N. I.; Gubin, V. P.

    2015-11-01

    The evolution of polarisation states (PS's) of broadband light propagating through a bent optical fibre with a helical structure of its refractive index anisotropy (hi-bi spun fibre) has been studied theoretically and experimentally. It has been shown that there exists a coordinate system of PS's in which the differential Jones matrix can be replaced by a diagonal matrix, which allows the polarisation parameters of the output broadband light to be readily calculated with sufficient accuracy. We have derived a formula for evaluating the magneto-optical sensitivity of a bent spun fibre. An approach has been proposed for restoring the degree of polarisation of light in a bent hi-bi spun fibre and, as a consequence, the visibility (contrast) of the interferometer in a current sensor with a sensing element based on the fibre under consideration.

  2. Photonic crystal fibres in biomedical investigations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Skibina, Yu S; Tuchin, Valerii V; Beloglazov, V I

    2011-04-30

    The state of the art in the field of design and study of photonic crystal fibres for biomedical applications is considered and some original results recently obtained by the authors are presented. Optical properties of the fibres that offer prospects of their wide application as biological sensors, 'labs-on-a-chip', and facilities of electromagnetic radiation control in a wide range of wavelengths aimed at designing novel biomedical instrumentation are considered (optical technologies in biophysics and medicine)

  3. Radioluminescence response of germanosilicate optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khanlary, M. R.; Townsend, P. D.; Townsend, J. E.

    1993-07-01

    X-ray irradiation of germanosilicate optical fibres simultaneously produces signals from both the core and substrate and so the radioluminescence spectra record the defect structure of both regions. The data provide evidence for the presence of dopants and trace impurities, as well as intrinsic defects formed by thermal and radiation processing. Examples of the changes in spectra or luminescence sensitivity with radiation dose, the influence of fibre pulling conditions and post irradiation heating are noted. The temperature dependence of the radioluminescence is reported. Whilst most of the intrinsic defects produce broad emission bands, rare earth dopants show line features. However, line features have also been noted for Al doped fibres. Such studies of fibre luminescence offer a sensitive monitor of changes in the structure of the glass network.

  4. Evaluation of Fibre Lifetime in Optical Ground Wire Transmission Lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grunvalds, R.; Ciekurs, A.; Porins, J.; Supe, A.

    2017-06-01

    In the research, measurements of polarisation mode dispersion of two OPGWs (optical ground wire transmission lines), in total four fibres, have been carried out, and the expected lifetime of the infrastructure has been assessed on the basis of these measurements. The cables under consideration were installed in 1995 and 2011, respectively. Measurements have shown that polarisation mode dispersion values for cable installed in 1995 are four times higher than that for cable installed in 2011, which could mainly be explained by technological differences in fibre production and lower fibre polarisation mode dispersion requirements in 1995 due to lack of high-speed (over 10 Gbit/s) optical transmission systems. The calculation methodology of non-refusal work and refusal probabilities, using the measured polarisation mode dispersion parameters, is proposed in the paper. Based on reliability calculations, the expected lifetime is then predicted, showing that all measured fibres most likely will be operational within minimum theoretical service life of 25 years accepted by the industry.

  5. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mthethwa, T.P.; Moloto, M.J., E-mail: mmoloto@uj.ac.za; De Vries, A.

    Graphical abstract: SEM images of CdS/PMMA showing coiling as loading of CdS nanoparticles is increased. Thermal stability is increased with increase in %loading of both CdS and CdSe nanoparticles. Research highlights: {yields} TOPO-capped CdS and HDA-capped CdSe nanoparticles were synthesized and fully characterized. {yields} The nanoparticles were mixed with the polymer, PMMA using electrospinning technique using 2, 5 and 10% weight loadings. {yields} The mixture was spun to produce fibres with optical and thermal properties showing significant change and also the increase in loading causing bending or spiraling. {yields} Both TEM images for nanoparticles and SEM for fibres shows themore » morphology and sizes of the particles. -- Abstract: Electrospinning technique was used to fabricate poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fibres incorporating CdS and CdSe quantum dots (nanoparticles). Different nanoparticle loadings (2, 5 and 10 wt% with respect to PMMA) were used and the effect of the quantum dots on the properties of the fibres was studied. The optical properties of the hybrid composite fibres were investigated by photoluminescence and UV-vis spectrophotometry. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectrophotometry were also used to investigate the morphology and structure of the fibres. The optical studies showed that the size-tunable optical properties can be achieved in the polymer fibres by addition of quantum dots. SEM images showed that the morphologies of the fibres were dependent on the added amounts of quantum dots. A spiral type of morphology was observed with an increase in the concentration of CdS and CdSe nanoparticles. Less beaded structures and bigger diameter fibres were obtained at higher quantum dot concentrations. X-ray diffractometry detected the amorphous peaks of the polymer and even after the quantum dots were added and the FTIR analysis shows that there was no considerable interaction between the quantum dots and the polymer fibres at low concentration of quantum dots however at higher concentrations some interactions were observed which shows that QDs were present on the surfaces of the fibres.« less

  6. Threshold temperature optical fibre sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stasiewicz, K. A.; Musial, J. E.

    2016-12-01

    This paper presents a new approach to manufacture a threshold temperature sensor based on a biconical optical fibre taper. The presented sensor employs the influence of variable state of concentration of some isotropic materials like wax or paraffin. Application of the above- mentioned materials is an attempt to prove that there is a possibility to obtain a low-cost, repeatable and smart sensor working as an in-line element. Optical fibre taper was obtained from a standard single mode fibre (SMF28®) by using a low pressure gas burner technique. The diameter of the manufactured tapers was 6.0 ± 0.5 μm with the length of elongation equal to 30.50 ± 0.16 mm. The applied technology allowed to produce tapers with the losses of 0.183 ± 0.015 dB. Application of materials with different temperature transition points made it possible to obtain the threshold work at the temperatures connected directly with their conversion temperature. External materials at the temperatures above their melting points do not influence the propagation losses. For each of them two types of the protection area and position of the optical fibre taper were applied.

  7. PRAXIS: low thermal emission high efficiency OH suppressed fibre spectrograph

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Content, Robert; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Ellis, Simon; Gers, Luke; Haynes, Roger; Horton, Anthony; Lawrence, Jon; Leon-Saval, Sergio; Lindley, Emma; Min, Seong-Sik; Shortridge, Keith; Staszak, Nick; Trinh, Christopher; Xavier, Pascal; Zhelem, Ross

    2014-07-01

    PRAXIS is a second generation instrument that follows on from GNOSIS, which was the first instrument using fibre Bragg gratings for OH suppression to be deployed on a telescope. The Bragg gratings reflect the NIR OH lines while being transparent to the light between the lines. This gives in principle a much higher signal-noise ratio at low resolution spectroscopy but also at higher resolutions by removing the scattered wings of the OH lines. The specifications call for high throughput and very low thermal and detector noise so that PRAXIS will remain sky noise limited even with the low sky background levels remaining after OH suppression. The optical and mechanical designs are presented. The optical train starts with fore-optics that image the telescope focal plane on an IFU which has 19 hexagonal microlenses each feeding a multi-mode fibre. Seven of these fibres are attached to a fibre Bragg grating OH suppression system while the others are reference/acquisition fibres. The light from each of the seven OH suppression fibres is then split by a photonic lantern into many single mode fibres where the Bragg gratings are imprinted. Another lantern recombines the light from the single mode fibres into a multi-mode fibre. A trade-off was made in the design of the IFU between field of view and transmission to maximize the signal-noise ratio for observations of faint, compact objects under typical seeing. GNOSIS used the pre-existing IRIS2 spectrograph while PRAXIS will use a new spectrograph specifically designed for the fibre Bragg grating OH suppression and optimised for 1.47 μm to 1.7 μm (it can also be used in the 1.09 μm to 1.26 μm band by changing the grating and refocussing). This results in a significantly higher transmission due to high efficiency coatings, a VPH grating at low incident angle and optimized for our small bandwidth, and low absorption glasses. The detector noise will also be lower thanks to the use of a current generation HAWAII-2RG detector. Throughout the PRAXIS design, from the fore-optics to the detector enclosure, special care was taken at every step along the optical path to reduce thermal emission or stop it leaking into the system. The spectrograph design itself was particularly challenging in this aspect because practical constraints required that the detector and the spectrograph enclosures be physically separate with air at ambient temperature between them. At present, the instrument uses the GNOSIS fibre Bragg grating OH suppression unit. We intend to soon use a new OH suppression unit based on multicore fibre Bragg gratings which will allow an increased field of view per fibre. Theoretical calculations show that the gain in interline sky background signal-noise ratio over GNOSIS may very well be as high as 9 with the GNOSIS OH suppression unit and 17 with the multicore fibre OH suppression unit.

  8. Fibre optic sensor for the detection of adulterant traces in coconut oil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheeba, M.; Rajesh, M.; Vallabhan, C. P. G.; Nampoori, V. P. N.; Radhakrishnan, P.

    2005-11-01

    The design and development of a fibre optic evanescent wave refractometer for the detection of trace amounts of paraffin oil and palm oil in coconut oil is presented. This sensor is based on a side-polished plastic optical fibre. At the sensing region, the cladding and a small portion of the core are removed and the fibre nicely polished. The sensing region is fabricated in such a manner that it sits perfectly within a bent mould. This bending of the sensing region enhances its sensitivity. The oil mixture of different mix ratios is introduced into the sensing region and we observed a sharp decrease in the output intensity. The observed variation in the intensity is found to be linear and the detection limit is 2% (by volume) paraffin oil/palm oil in coconut oil. The resolution of this refractometric sensor is of the order of 10-3. Since coconut oil is consumed in large volumes as edible oil in south India, this fibre optic sensor finds great relevance for the detection of adulterants such as paraffin oil or palm oil which are readily miscible in coconut oil. The advantage of this type of sensor is that it is inexpensive and easy to set up. Another attraction of the side-polished fibre is that only a very small amount of analyte is needed and its response time is only 7 s.

  9. An Optical Fibre Depth (Pressure) Sensor for Remote Operated Vehicles in Underwater Applications

    PubMed Central

    Duraibabu, Dinesh Babu; Poeggel, Sven; Omerdic, Edin; Capocci, Romano; Lewis, Elfed; Newe, Thomas; Leen, Gabriel; Toal, Daniel; Dooly, Gerard

    2017-01-01

    A miniature sensor for accurate measurement of pressure (depth) with temperature compensation in the ocean environment is described. The sensor is based on an optical fibre Extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) combined with a Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG). The EFPI provides pressure measurements while the Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) provides temperature measurements. The sensor is mechanically robust, corrosion-resistant and suitable for use in underwater applications. The combined pressure and temperature sensor system was mounted on-board a mini remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) in order to monitor the pressure changes at various depths. The reflected optical spectrum from the sensor was monitored online and a pressure or temperature change caused a corresponding observable shift in the received optical spectrum. The sensor exhibited excellent stability when measured over a 2 h period underwater and its performance is compared with a commercially available reference sensor also mounted on the ROV. The measurements illustrates that the EFPI/FBG sensor is more accurate for depth measurements (depth of ~0.020 m). PMID:28218727

  10. High-Precision Temperature Control of a Crystal Growth Furnace at 1,500 C

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stenzel, Ch.; Hess, A.; Croell, A.; Breuer, D.; Sauermann, H.

    2012-01-01

    For crystal growth of semiconductor materials a short-term temperature stability of 0.1 C at 1500 C is one of the essential parameters to be addressed for achieving high-quality crystals. Hence, for temperature monitoring and control with high precision in a floating zone furnace two sets of thermo-sensors, type B thermocouples and optical fibre thermometers, have been implemented and successfully operated in the furnace for more than 2000 h. The optical fibre thermometers consist of an optical system made of sapphire (two fibres plus a prism in between for deflection) and transmit the infra-red radiation of the heater to the outside of the hot core of the furnace for pyrometric temperature measurement. A dedicated control algorithm has been set up which controlled the power settings to the individual heaters. Both sensor types showed no degradation after this period and yielded a short-term stability at 1200 C of 0.05 C (optical fibre thermometers), respectively 0.08 C (thermocouples).

  11. Distributed acoustic fibre optic sensors for condition monitoring of pipelines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussels, Maria-Teresa; Chruscicki, Sebastian; Habib, Abdelkarim; Krebber, Katerina

    2016-05-01

    Industrial piping systems are particularly relevant to public safety and the continuous availability of infrastructure. However, condition monitoring systems based on many discrete sensors are generally not well-suited for widespread piping systems due to considerable installation effort, while use of distributed fibre-optic sensors would reduce this effort to a minimum. Specifically distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is employed for detection of third-party threats and leaks in oil and gas pipelines in recent years and can in principle also be applied to industrial plants. Further possible detection routes amenable by DAS that could identify damage prior to emission of medium are subject of a current project at BAM, which aims at qualifying distributed fibre optic methods such as DAS as a means for spatially continuous monitoring of industrial piping systems. Here, first tests on a short pipe are presented, where optical fibres were applied directly to the surface. An artificial signal was used to define suitable parameters of the measurement system and compare different ways of applying the sensor.

  12. Feedback dew-point sensor utilizing optimally cut plastic optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hadjiloucas, S.; Irvine, J.; Keating, D. A.

    2000-01-01

    A plastic optical fibre reflectance sensor that makes full use of the critical angle of the fibres is implemented to monitor dew formation on a Peltier-cooled reflector surface. The optical configuration permits isolation of optoelectronic components from the sensing head and better light coupling between the reflector and the detecting fibre, giving a better signal of the onset of dew formation on the reflector. Continuous monitoring of the rate of change in reflectance as well as the absolute reflectance signals, the use of a novel polymethyl-methacrylate-coated hydrophobic film reflector on the Peltier element and the application of feedback around the point of dew formation, further reduces the possibility of contamination of the sensor head. Under closed-loop operation, the sensor is capable of cycling around the point of dew formation at a frequency of 2.5 Hz.

  13. Quantum storage of entangled telecom-wavelength photons in an erbium-doped optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saglamyurek, Erhan; Jin, Jeongwan; Verma, Varun B.; Shaw, Matthew D.; Marsili, Francesco; Nam, Sae Woo; Oblak, Daniel; Tittel, Wolfgang

    2015-02-01

    The realization of a future quantum Internet requires the processing and storage of quantum information at local nodes and interconnecting distant nodes using free-space and fibre-optic links. Quantum memories for light are key elements of such quantum networks. However, to date, neither an atomic quantum memory for non-classical states of light operating at a wavelength compatible with standard telecom fibre infrastructure, nor a fibre-based implementation of a quantum memory, has been reported. Here, we demonstrate the storage and faithful recall of the state of a 1,532 nm wavelength photon entangled with a 795 nm photon, in an ensemble of cryogenically cooled erbium ions doped into a 20-m-long silica fibre, using a photon-echo quantum memory protocol. Despite its currently limited efficiency and storage time, our broadband light-matter interface brings fibre-based quantum networks one step closer to reality.

  14. Spectral tunability of two-photon states generated by spontaneous four-wave mixing: fibre tapering, temperature variation and longitudinal stress

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortiz-Ricardo, E.; Bertoni-Ocampo, C.; Ibarra-Borja, Z.; Ramirez-Alarcon, R.; Cruz-Delgado, D.; Cruz-Ramirez, H.; Garay-Palmett, K.; U'Ren, A. B.

    2017-09-01

    We explore three different mechanisms designed to controllably tune the joint spectrum of photon pairs produced by the spontaneous four-wave mixing (SFWM) process in optical fibres. The first of these is fibre tapering, which exploits the modified optical dispersion resulting from reducing the core radius. We have presented a theory of SFWM for tapered fibres, as well as experimental results for the SFWM coincidence spectra as a function of the reduction in core radius due to tapering. The other two techniques that we have explored are temperature variation and application of longitudinal stress. While the maximum spectral shift observed with these two techniques is smaller than for fibre tapering, they are considerably simpler to implement and have the important advantage that they are based on the use of a single, suitably controlled, fibre specimen.

  15. Towards high-capacity fibre-optic communications at the speed of light in vacuum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poletti, F.; Wheeler, N. V.; Petrovich, M. N.; Baddela, N.; Numkam Fokoua, E.; Hayes, J. R.; Gray, D. R.; Li, Z.; Slavík, R.; Richardson, D. J.

    2013-04-01

    Wide-bandwidth signal transmission with low latency is emerging as a key requirement in a number of applications, including the development of future exaflop-scale supercomputers, financial algorithmic trading and cloud computing. Optical fibres provide unsurpassed transmission bandwidth, but light propagates 31% slower in a silica glass fibre than in vacuum, thus compromising latency. Air guidance in hollow-core fibres can reduce fibre latency very significantly. However, state-of-the-art technology cannot achieve the combined values of loss, bandwidth and mode-coupling characteristics required for high-capacity data transmission. Here, we report a fundamentally improved hollow-core photonic-bandgap fibre that provides a record combination of low loss (3.5 dB km-1) and wide bandwidth (160 nm), and use it to transmit 37 × 40 Gbit s-1 channels at a 1.54 µs km-1 faster speed than in a conventional fibre. This represents the first experimental demonstration of fibre-based wavelength division multiplexed data transmission at close to (99.7%) the speed of light in vacuum.

  16. Investigation of the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Copper-Graphite Composites Reinforced with Single-Crystal α-Al₂O₃ Fibres by Hot Isostatic Pressing.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Guihang; Jiang, Xiaosong; Qiao, ChangJun; Shao, Zhenyi; Zhu, Degui; Zhu, Minhao; Valcarcel, Victor

    2018-06-11

    Single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ fibres can be utilized as a novel reinforcement in high-temperature composites owing to their high elastic modulus, chemical and thermal stability. Unlike non-oxide fibres and polycrystalline alumina fibres, high-temperature oxidation and polycrystalline particles boundary growth will not occur for single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ fibres. In this work, single-crystal α-Al₂O₃ whiskers and Al₂O₃ particles synergistic reinforced copper-graphite composites were fabricated by mechanical alloying and hot isostatic pressing techniques. The phase compositions, microstructures, and fracture morphologies of the composites were investigated using X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope equipped with an X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS), an electron probe microscopic analysis equipped with wavelength-dispersive spectrometer, and a transmission electron microscope equipped with EDS. The mechanical properties have been measured by a micro-hardness tester and electronic universal testing machine. The results show that the reinforcements were unevenly distributed in the matrix with the increase of their content and there were some micro-cracks located at the interface between the reinforcement and the matrix. With the increase of the Al₂O₃ whisker content, the compressive strength of the composites first increased and then decreased, while the hardness decreased. The fracture and strengthening mechanisms of the composite materials were explored on the basis of the structure and composition of the composites through the formation and function of the interface. The main strengthening mechanism in the composites was fine grain strengthening and solid solution strengthening. The fracture type of the composites was brittle fracture.

  17. High performance architecture design for large scale fibre-optic sensor arrays using distributed EDFAs and hybrid TDM/DWDM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liao, Yi; Austin, Ed; Nash, Philip J.; Kingsley, Stuart A.; Richardson, David J.

    2013-09-01

    A distributed amplified dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) array architecture is presented for interferometric fibre-optic sensor array systems. This architecture employs a distributed erbium-doped fibre amplifier (EDFA) scheme to decrease the array insertion loss, and employs time division multiplexing (TDM) at each wavelength to increase the number of sensors that can be supported. The first experimental demonstration of this system is reported including results which show the potential for multiplexing and interrogating up to 4096 sensors using a single telemetry fibre pair with good system performance. The number can be increased to 8192 by using dual pump sources.

  18. A novel inter-fibre light coupling sensor probe using plastic optical fibre for ethanol concentration monitoring at initial production rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Memon, Sanober F.; Lewis, Elfed; Pembroke, J. Tony; Chowdhry, Bhawani S.

    2017-04-01

    A novel, low cost and highly sensitive optical fibre probe sensor for concentration measurement of ethanol solvent (C2H5OH) corresponding to bio-ethanol production rate by an algae is reported. The principle of operation of the sensor is based on inter-fibre light coupling through an evanescent field interaction to couple the light between two multimode fibres mounted parallel to each other at a minimum possible separation i.e. < 1mm. The sensor was fabricated using a low cost 1000um plastic optical fibre (POF) and was characterized for real time measurement in the broadband spectrum including visible and near infra-red. The wavelength dependency of this sensor design was also investigated by post processing analysis of real time data and hence the optimum wavelength range determined. The proposed sensor has shown significant response in the range of 0.005 - 0.1 %v/v (%volume/volume or volume concentration) which depicts the high sensitivity for monitoring very minute changes in concentration corresponding refractive index changes of the solution. Numerically, sensor has shown the sensitivity of 21945 intensity counts/%v/v or 109.7 counts per every 0.0050 %v/v.

  19. Optic axis determination by fibre-based polarization-sensitive swept-source optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Zenghai; Kasaragod, Deepa K.; Matcher, Stephen J.

    2011-02-01

    We describe a fibre-based variable-incidence angle (VIA) polarization-sensitive swept-source optical coherence tomography (PS-SS-OCT) system to determine the 3D optical axis of birefringent biological tissues. Single-plane VIA-PS-OCT is also explored which requires measurement of the absolute fast-axis orientation. A state-of-the-art PS-SS-OCT system with some improvements both in hardware and software was used to determine the apparent optical birefringence of equine tendon for a number of different illumination directions. Polar and azimuthal angles of cut equine tendon were produced by the VIA method and compared with the nominal values. A quarter waveplate (QWP) and equine tendon were used as test targets to validate the fast-axis measurements using the system. Polar and azimuthal angles of cut equine tendon broadly agreed with the expected values within about 8% of the nominal values. A theoretical and experimental analysis of the effect of the sample arm fibre on determination of optical axis orientation using a proposed definition based on the orientation of the eigenpolarization ellipse experimentally confirms that this algorithm only works correctly for special settings of the sample arm fibre. A proposed algorithm based on the angle between Stokes vectors on the Poincaré sphere is confirmed to work for all settings of the sample arm fibre. A calibration procedure is proposed to remove the sign ambiguity of the measured orientation and was confirmed experimentally by using the QWP.

  20. Relative contributions of scattering, diffraction and modal diffusion to focal ratio degradation in optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haynes, D. M.; Withford, M. J.; Dawes, J. M.; Lawrence, J. S.; Haynes, R.

    2011-06-01

    Focal ratio degradation (FRD) is a major contributor to light loss in astronomical instruments employing multimode optical fibres. We present a powerful diagnostic model that uniquely quantifies the various sources of FRD in multimode fibres. There are three main phenomena that can contribute to FRD: scattering, diffraction and modal diffusion. We propose a Voigt FRD model where the diffraction and modal diffusion are modelled by the Gaussian component and the end-face scattering is modelled by the Lorentzian component. The Voigt FRD model can be deconvolved into its Gaussian and Lorentzian components and used to analyse the contribution of each of the three major components. We used the Voigt FRD model to analyse the FRD of modern astronomical grade fibre for variations in (i) end-face surface roughness, (ii) wavelength, (iii) fibre length and (iv) external fibre stress. The elevated FRD we observed was mostly due to external factors, i.e. fibre end effects such as surface roughness, subsurface damage and environmentally induced microbending caused by the epoxy, ferrules and fibre cable design. The Voigt FRD model has numerous applications such as a diagnostic tool for current fibre instrumentation that show elevated FRD, as a quality control method for fibre manufacture and fibre cable assembly and as a research and development tool for the characterization of new fibre technologies.

  1. Intraocular tissue ablation using an optical fibre to deliver the 5th harmonic of a Nd:YAG

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Joseph; Yu, Xiaobo; Yu, Paula K.; Cringle, Stephen J.; Yu, Dao-Yi

    2009-02-01

    We report the evaluation of a system which delivers the 5th harmonic of an Nd:YAG (213nm) via optical fibre to ocular tissue sites. The 213nm beam is concentrated, using a hollow glass taper, prior to launch into 200 μm or 600 μm core diameter silica/silica optical fibre. The fibre tip was tapered to enhance the fluence delivered. An operating window of fluence values that could be delivered via 330 - 1100mm lengths of optical fibre was determined. The lower value of 0.2J/cm2 determined by the ablation threshold of the tissue and the upper value of 1.3J/cm2 by the launch, transmission and tip characteristics of the optical fibre. The fluence output decreased as a function of both transmitted pulse energy and number of pulses transmitted. Fresh retinal tissue was cleanly ablated with minimal damage to the surrounding tissue. Lesions were generated using 1, 3 and 10 pulses with fluences from 0.2 to 1.0J/cm2. The lesion depth demonstrated clear dose dependence. Lesions generated in ex vivo preparations of human trabecular meshwork in a fluid environment also demonstrated dose dependence, 50 pulses being sufficient to create a hole within the trabecular meshwork extending to Schlemm's canal. The dose dependence of the ablation depth combined with the ability of this technique to create a conduit through to Schlemm's canal demonstrates the potential of this technique for ophthalmological applications requiring precise and controlled intraocular tissue removal and has potential applications in the treatment and management of glaucoma.

  2. Recent developments in seismic seabed oil reservoir monitoring applications using fibre-optic sensing networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Freitas, J. M.

    2011-05-01

    This review looks at recent developments in seismic seabed oil reservoir monitoring techniques using fibre-optic sensing networks. After a brief introduction covering the background and scope of the review, the following section focuses on state-of-the-art fibre-optic hydrophones and accelerometers used for seismic applications. Related metrology aspects of the sensor such as measurement of sensitivity, noise and cross-axis performance are addressed. The third section focuses on interrogation systems. Two main phase-based competing systems have emerged over the past two decades for seismic applications, with a third technique showing much promise; these have been compared in terms of general performance.

  3. Optical Fibre Sensor For Measuring pH In Physiological Range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golunski, Witold; Hypszer, Ryszard; Plucinski, Jerzy

    1990-01-01

    The principle of fibre optic pH sensor operation is given in this paper. PH measurement in 7.0-7.5 range is based on changing of optical property of a indicator. The indicator is sensitive to the hydrogen ion concentration in the water solution. Microspheres of the polymer XAD-2 (a styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer) containing bound phenol red were used as a indicator. Such prepared indicator was inserted in optrode. The optrode was connected with transmitter and receiver by a bundle of glass fibres (multicomponent glass). Transmitter was done by using green LED while receiver construction was based on pin photodiode.

  4. Addressing the needs of the telecoms industry for optical fibre communication in Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leitch, Andrew W. R.; Conibear, Ann B.

    2005-10-01

    We report on a successful partnership between the Department of Physics at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and Telkom, South Africa's national telecommunications company, to train physics students in the important fields related to optical fibre technology. The partnership, which began in 2001 and forms part of Telkom's Centre of Excellence program in South Africa, is currently being extended to other countries in Africa. The training being conducted in the Physics Department has as one of its main goals an increased understanding of polarisation mode dispersion (PMD), an effect that will ultimately limit the transmission speeds through optical fibre.

  5. FIBRE AND INTEGRATED OPTICS. OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Intrafibre rotation of the plane of polarisation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zel'dovich, Boris Ya; Kundikova, N. D.

    1995-02-01

    Rotation of the plane of polarisation during propagation of sagittal rays in a rectilinear multimode fibre was observed experimentally. The angle of rotation was in good agreement with the results predicted on the basis of the Rytov—Vladimirskii—Berry theory.

  6. Demonstration of Raman-based, dispersion-managed VCSEL technology for fibre-to-the-hut application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rotich Kipnoo, E. K.; Kiboi Boiyo, D.; Isoe, G. M.; Chabata, T. V.; Gamatham, R. R. G.; Leitch, A. W. R.; Gibbon, T. B.

    2017-03-01

    For the first time, we experimentally investigate the use of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) in the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) flavour for Africa, known as fibre-to-the-hut. Fibre-to-the-hut is a VCSEL based passive optical network technology designed and optimized for African continent. VCSELs have attracted attention in optical communication due to its vast advantages; low power consumption, relatively cheap costs among others. A 4.25 Gb/s uncooled VCSEL is used in a dispersion managed, Raman assisted network achieving beyond 100 km of error free transmission suited for FTTHut scenario. Energy-efficient high performance VCSEL is modulated using a 27-1 PRBS pattern and the signal transmitted on a G.655 fibre utilizing the minimum attenuation window.

  7. Mapping of recent brachiopod microstructure: a tool for environmental and climate studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Facheng; Angiolini, Lucia; Crippa, Gaia; Garbelli, Claudio; Brand, Uwe; Cusack, Maggie; Harper, Elizabeth

    2017-04-01

    The shells of brachiopods are considered excellent archives of proxies for palaeoenvironment reconstructions. In fact, their biominerals when preserved in the fossil record have considerable potential for extending the climate and environmental record in the geological past. However, their use as fossil archives requires an understanding of how recent shells maintain or change their morphostructure and geochemistry in response to climate, environmental pressures or even ontogenetic/species-specific variation. Here, we focus on the morphology and size of the basic structural units (the fibres within the secondary layer) of several extant brachiopod taxa, to understand their growth program and ontogenetic variation, and if and how they are affected by different environmental conditions. Twenty-nine specimens of six recent brachiopod species [Notosaria nigricans (Sowerby, 1846), Liothyrella neozelanica (Thomson, 1918), Liothyrella uva (Broderip, 1833), Magasella sanguinea (Leach, 1814), Gryphus vitreus (Born, 1778), Calloria inconspicua (Sowerby, 1846)] were chosen for shell microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy. The morphology and size of each fibre in the shells of these specimens (600 fibres in ventral valves and 587 fibres in dorsal valves) were described using six parameters [Max and Min ferret (caliper diameter, i.e. longest/shortest distance between any two parallel tangents on the fibre), Area, Perimeter, Convex area and Convex perimeter]. Based on the statistical analysis of these data, we conclude that: 1) There is no significant difference in the shape and size of the fibres between ventral and dorsal valves of specimen's; 2) there is an ontogenetic trend in the shape and size of the fibres, as they invariably become wider and flatter with increasing age, that is from the external posterior part to the internal anterior part of each valve. This has important implications in comparative studies of fossil shells; 3) when comparing two species of the same genus living in different environmental conditions (e.g., Liothyrella uva and Liothyrella neozelanica), the fibres of Liothyrella uva are narrower and rounder than those of Liothyrella neozelanica, a difference that can be related to environmental differences of their habitats.

  8. Hybrid optical-fibre/geopolymer sensors for structural health monitoring of concrete structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perry, M.; Saafi, M.; Fusiek, G.; Niewczas, P.

    2015-04-01

    In this work, we demonstrate hybrid optical-fibre/geopolymer sensors for monitoring temperature, uniaxial strain and biaxial strain in concrete structures. The hybrid sensors detect these measurands via changes in geopolymer electrical impedance, and via optical wavelength measurements of embedded fibre Bragg gratings. Electrical and optical measurements were both facilitated by metal-coated optical fibres, which provided the hybrid sensors with a single, shared physical path for both voltage and wavelength signals. The embedded fibre sensors revealed that geopolymer specimens undergo 2.7 mɛ of shrinkage after one week of curing at 42 °C. After curing, an axial 2 mɛ compression of the uniaxial hybrid sensor led to impedance and wavelength shifts of 7 × 10-2 and -2 × 10-4 respectively. The typical strain resolution in the uniaxial sensor was 100 μ \\varepsilon . The biaxial sensor was applied to the side of a concrete cylinder, which was then placed under 0.6 mɛ of axial, compressive strain. Fractional shifts in impedance and wavelength, used to monitor axial and circumferential strain, were 3 × 10-2 and 4 × 10-5 respectively. The biaxial sensor’s strain resolution was approximately 10 μ \\varepsilon in both directions. Due to several design flaws, the uniaxial hybrid sensor was unable to accurately measure ambient temperature changes. The biaxial sensor, however, successfully monitored local temperature changes with 0.5 °C resolution.

  9. A quantitative and non-contact technique to characterise microstructural variations of skin tissues during photo-damaging process based on Mueller matrix polarimetry.

    PubMed

    Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; Sheng, Wei; Wu, Jian; Ma, Hui

    2017-10-31

    Skin tissue consists of collagen and elastic fibres, which are highly susceptible to damage when exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), leading to skin aging and cancer. However, a lack of non-invasive detection methods makes determining the degree of UVR damage to skin in real time difficult. As one of the fundamental features of light, polarization can be used to develop imaging techniques capable of providing structural information about tissues. In particular, Mueller matrix polarimetry is suitable for detecting changes in collagen and elastic fibres. Here, we demonstrate a novel, quantitative, non-contact and in situ technique based on Mueller matrix polarimetry for monitoring the microstructural changes of skin tissues during UVR-induced photo-damaging. We measured the Mueller matrices of nude mouse skin samples, then analysed the transformed parameters to characterise microstructural changes during the skin photo-damaging and self-repairing processes. Comparisons between samples with and without the application of a sunscreen showed that the Mueller matrix-derived parameters are potential indicators for fibrous microstructure in skin tissues. Histological examination and Monte Carlo simulations confirmed the relationship between the Mueller matrix parameters and changes to fibrous structures. This technique paves the way for non-contact evaluation of skin structure in cosmetics and dermatological health.

  10. Collagenous microstructure of the glenoid labrum and biceps anchor

    PubMed Central

    Hill, A M; Hoerning, E J; Brook, K; Smith, C D; Moss, J; Ryder, T; Wallace, A L; Bull, A M J

    2008-01-01

    The glenoid labrum is a significant passive stabilizer of the shoulder joint. However, its microstructural form remains largely unappreciated, particularly in the context of its variety of functions. The focus of labral microscopy has often been histology and, as such, there is very little appreciation of collagen composition and arrangement of the labrum, and hence the micromechanics of the structure. On transmission electron microscopy, significant differences in diameter, area and perimeter were noted in the two gross histological groups of collagen fibril visualized; this suggests a heterogeneous collagenous composition with potentially distinct mechanical function. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated three distinct zones of interest: a superficial mesh, a dense circumferential braided core potentially able to accommodate hoop stresses, and a loosely packed peri-core zone. Confocal microscopy revealed an articular surface fine fibrillar mesh potentially able to reduce surface friction, bundles of circumferential encapsulated fibres in the bulk of the tissue, and bone anchoring fibres at the osseous interface. Varying microstructure throughout the depth of the labrum suggests a role in accommodating different types of loading. An understanding of the labral microstructure can lead to development of hypotheses based upon an appreciation of this component of material property. This may aid an educated approach to surgical timing and repair. PMID:18429974

  11. Liquid-filled hollow core microstructured polymer optical fiber.

    PubMed

    Cox, F M; Argyros, A; Large, M C J

    2006-05-01

    Guidance in a liquid core is possible with microstructured optical fibers, opening up many possibilities for chemical and biochemical fiber-optic sensing. In this work we demonstrate how the bandgaps of a hollow core microstructured polymer optical fiber scale with the refractive index of liquid introduced into the holes of the microstructure. Such a fiber is then filled with an aqueous solution of (-)-fructose, and the resulting optical rotation measured. Hence, we show that hollow core microstructured polymer optical fibers can be used for sensing, whilst also fabricating a chiral optical fiber based on material chirality, which has many applications in its own right.

  12. Microstructured optical fiber-based luminescent biosensing: Is there any light at the end of the tunnel? - A review.

    PubMed

    Pidenko, Sergey A; Burmistrova, Natalia A; Shuvalov, Andrey A; Chibrova, Anastasiya A; Skibina, Yulia S; Goryacheva, Irina Y

    2018-08-17

    This review covers the current state of the art of luminescent biosensors based on various types of microstructured optical fiber. The unique optical and structural properties of this type of optical fiber make them one of the most promising integrated platforms for bioassays. The individual sections of this review are devoted to a) classification of microstructured optical fibers, b) microstructured optical fiber materials, c) aspects of biosensing based on the biomolecules incorporated into the microstructured optical fibers, and d) development of models for prediction of the efficiency of luminescent signal processing. The authors' views on current trends and limitations of microstructured optical fibers for biosensing as well as the most promising areas and technologies for application in analytical practice are presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Nonlinear optics of fibre event horizons.

    PubMed

    Webb, Karen E; Erkintalo, Miro; Xu, Yiqing; Broderick, Neil G R; Dudley, John M; Genty, Goëry; Murdoch, Stuart G

    2014-09-17

    The nonlinear interaction of light in an optical fibre can mimic the physics at an event horizon. This analogue arises when a weak probe wave is unable to pass through an intense soliton, despite propagating at a different velocity. To date, these dynamics have been described in the time domain in terms of a soliton-induced refractive index barrier that modifies the velocity of the probe. Here we complete the physical description of fibre-optic event horizons by presenting a full frequency-domain description in terms of cascaded four-wave mixing between discrete single-frequency fields, and experimentally demonstrate signature frequency shifts using continuous wave lasers. Our description is confirmed by the remarkable agreement with experiments performed in the continuum limit, reached using ultrafast lasers. We anticipate that clarifying the description of fibre event horizons will significantly impact on the description of horizon dynamics and soliton interactions in photonics and other systems.

  14. Low cost photonic comb for sub-m/s wavelength calibration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Betters, Christopher H.; Hermouet, Maxime; Blanc, Thomas; Colless, James I.; Bland-Hawthorn, Joss; Kos, Janez; Leon-Saval, Sergio

    2016-07-01

    A fundamental limitation of precision radial velocity measurements is the accuracy and stability of the calibration source. Here we present a low-cost alternative to more complex laser metrology based systems that utilises a single-mode fibre Fabry-Perot etalon. There are three key elements on this photonic comb: i) an optical fibre etalon with thermo-electric coolers; ii) a Rubidium Saturation Absorption Spectroscopy (SAS) setup; and iii) an optical fibre switch system for simultaneous laser locking of the etalon. We simultaneously measure the Rubidium D2 transitions around 780.2 nm and the closest etalon line. A PID loop controls the etalon temperate to maintain the position of its peak with an RMS error of <10cm/s for 10 minute integration intervals in continous operation. The optical fibre switch system allows for a time multiplexed coupling of the etalon to a spectrograph and SAS system.

  15. Ultra-sensitive all-fibre photothermal spectroscopy with large dynamic range

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Wei; Cao, Yingchun; Yang, Fan; Ho, Hoi Lut

    2015-01-01

    Photothermal interferometry is an ultra-sensitive spectroscopic means for trace chemical detection in gas- and liquid-phase materials. Previous photothermal interferometry systems used free-space optics and have limitations in efficiency of light–matter interaction, size and optical alignment, and integration into photonic circuits. Here we exploit photothermal-induced phase change in a gas-filled hollow-core photonic bandgap fibre, and demonstrate an all-fibre acetylene gas sensor with a noise equivalent concentration of 2 p.p.b. (2.3 × 10−9 cm−1 in absorption coefficient) and an unprecedented dynamic range of nearly six orders of magnitude. The realization of photothermal interferometry with low-cost near infrared semiconductor lasers and fibre-based technology allows a class of optical sensors with compact size, ultra sensitivity and selectivity, applicability to harsh environment, and capability for remote and multiplexed multi-point detection and distributed sensing. PMID:25866015

  16. The optical frequency comb fibre spectrometer

    PubMed Central

    Coluccelli, Nicola; Cassinerio, Marco; Redding, Brandon; Cao, Hui; Laporta, Paolo; Galzerano, Gianluca

    2016-01-01

    Optical frequency comb sources provide thousands of precise and accurate optical lines in a single device enabling the broadband and high-speed detection required in many applications. A main challenge is to parallelize the detection over the widest possible band while bringing the resolution to the single comb-line level. Here we propose a solution based on the combination of a frequency comb source and a fibre spectrometer, exploiting all-fibre technology. Our system allows for simultaneous measurement of 500 isolated comb lines over a span of 0.12 THz in a single acquisition; arbitrarily larger span are demonstrated (3,500 comb lines over 0.85 THz) by doing sequential acquisitions. The potential for precision measurements is proved by spectroscopy of acetylene at 1.53 μm. Being based on all-fibre technology, our system is inherently low-cost, lightweight and may lead to the development of a new class of broadband high-resolution spectrometers. PMID:27694981

  17. Autofluorescence of bovine ligamentum nuchae, cartilage, heart valve and lung measured by microscopy and fibre optics.

    PubMed

    Swatland, H J

    1988-09-01

    The fluorescence of bovine tissues was measured post mortem by microscopy of frozen sections and by using optical fibres to excite fluorescence and to measure fluorescence emission spectra. Mechanical disruption of the tissue (by comminution or sectioning) did not appreciably change tissue fluorescence spectra. Ligamentum nuchae had the strongest fluorescence and lung tissue had the weakest. In samples measured with a minimum prior exposure to ultraviolet light, the peak fluorescence emission was at 410 or 420 nm (with excitation at 365 nm). Exposure to ultraviolet light for about 1 minute shifted the fluorescence peak to 450 to 470 nm. Further exposure (about 30 minutes) caused a loss of the 450 to 470 nm fluorescence peak, while emissions above 530 nm were maintained or strengthened. Microscopy showed that the fluorescence that was measured by fibre optics from intact connective tissues originated mostly from collagen and elastin fibres.

  18. Sub-micrometre accurate free-form optics by three-dimensional printing on single-mode fibres

    PubMed Central

    Gissibl, Timo; Thiele, Simon; Herkommer, Alois; Giessen, Harald

    2016-01-01

    Micro-optics are widely used in numerous applications, such as beam shaping, collimation, focusing and imaging. We use femtosecond 3D printing to manufacture free-form micro-optical elements. Our method gives sub-micrometre accuracy so that direct manufacturing even on single-mode fibres is possible. We demonstrate the potential of our method by writing different collimation optics, toric lenses, free-form surfaces with polynomials of up to 10th order for intensity beam shaping, as well as chiral photonic crystals for circular polarization filtering, all aligned onto the core of the single-mode fibres. We determine the accuracy of our optics by analysing the output patterns as well as interferometrically characterizing the surfaces. We find excellent agreement with numerical calculations. 3D printing of microoptics can achieve sufficient performance that will allow for rapid prototyping and production of beam-shaping and imaging devices. PMID:27339700

  19. Sub-micrometre accurate free-form optics by three-dimensional printing on single-mode fibres.

    PubMed

    Gissibl, Timo; Thiele, Simon; Herkommer, Alois; Giessen, Harald

    2016-06-24

    Micro-optics are widely used in numerous applications, such as beam shaping, collimation, focusing and imaging. We use femtosecond 3D printing to manufacture free-form micro-optical elements. Our method gives sub-micrometre accuracy so that direct manufacturing even on single-mode fibres is possible. We demonstrate the potential of our method by writing different collimation optics, toric lenses, free-form surfaces with polynomials of up to 10th order for intensity beam shaping, as well as chiral photonic crystals for circular polarization filtering, all aligned onto the core of the single-mode fibres. We determine the accuracy of our optics by analysing the output patterns as well as interferometrically characterizing the surfaces. We find excellent agreement with numerical calculations. 3D printing of microoptics can achieve sufficient performance that will allow for rapid prototyping and production of beam-shaping and imaging devices.

  20. Sub-micrometre accurate free-form optics by three-dimensional printing on single-mode fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gissibl, Timo; Thiele, Simon; Herkommer, Alois; Giessen, Harald

    2016-06-01

    Micro-optics are widely used in numerous applications, such as beam shaping, collimation, focusing and imaging. We use femtosecond 3D printing to manufacture free-form micro-optical elements. Our method gives sub-micrometre accuracy so that direct manufacturing even on single-mode fibres is possible. We demonstrate the potential of our method by writing different collimation optics, toric lenses, free-form surfaces with polynomials of up to 10th order for intensity beam shaping, as well as chiral photonic crystals for circular polarization filtering, all aligned onto the core of the single-mode fibres. We determine the accuracy of our optics by analysing the output patterns as well as interferometrically characterizing the surfaces. We find excellent agreement with numerical calculations. 3D printing of microoptics can achieve sufficient performance that will allow for rapid prototyping and production of beam-shaping and imaging devices.

  1. A passive optical fibre hydrophone array utilising fibre Bragg grating sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karas, Andrew R.; Papageorgiou, Anthony W.; Cook, Peter R.; Arkwright, John W.

    2018-02-01

    Many current high performance hydrophones use piezo-electric technology to measure sound pressure in water. These hydrophones are sensitive enough to detect any sound above the lowest ambient ocean acoustic noise, however cost of manufacture, weight and storage volume of the array as well as deployment and maintenance costs can limit their largescale application. Piezo-electric systems also have issues with electro-magnetic interference and the signature of the electrical cabling required in a large array. A fibre optic hydrophone array has advantages over the piezo-electric technology in these areas. This paper presents the operating principle of a passive optical fibre hydrophone array utilising Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBGs). The multiple FBG sensors are interrogated using a single solid state spectrometer which further reduces the cost of the deployed system. A noise equivalent power (NEP) comparison of the developed FBG hydrophone versus an existing piezo-electric hydrophone is presented as well as a comparison to the lowest ambient ocean acoustic noise (sea state zero). This research provides an important first step towards a cost effective multi sensor hydrophone array using FBGs.

  2. Asbestos as 'toxic short-circuit' optic-fibre for UV within the cell-net: — Likely roles and hazards for secret UV and IR metabolism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Traill, Robert R.

    2011-12-01

    The most toxic asbestos fibres have widths 250nm-10nm, and this toxicity is "physical", which could mean either mechanical or optical: Tangling with chromosomes is a •mechanical hazard occasionally reported, and fibres <100nm wide would probably be most knife-like. Our other concern here is •optical: Calculations for fibres <=300nm reveal such a transmission possibility, but only when the amphibole fibres (brown and blue asbestos) are >100nm wide — or chrysotile (white asbestos) is >150nm. In both cases, UVA/UVB -transmission would then predominate. (Chrysotile 150nm might be benign — escaping both mechanical and optical!). But what would generate such UV, and why would its transmission be toxic? Thar and Kühl (J.Theor.Biol.:2004) explain that the long mitochondria on microtubules may be able to act as UV-lasers, (and many observers since Gurwitsch 1923 have reported ultraweak UV emissions escaping from all types of living bio-tissue). That all suggests some universal secret role for UV, apparently related to mitosis. Insertion of fibre "short-circuits" could then cause upsets in mitosis-control, and hence DNA irregularities. Such UV-control could parallel similar lower-powered Infra-Red control-systems (as considered elsewhere for coaxial myelin; or as portrayed by G.Albrecht-Buehler's online animations etc.); and the traditional short mitochondria seem better suited for this IR task.

  3. Nonlinear force dependence on optically bound micro-particle arrays in the evanescent fields of fundamental and higher order microfibre modes

    PubMed Central

    Maimaiti, Aili; Holzmann, Daniela; Truong, Viet Giang; Ritsch, Helmut; Nic Chormaic, Síle

    2016-01-01

    Particles trapped in the evanescent field of an ultrathin optical fibre interact over very long distances via multiple scattering of the fibre-guided fields. In ultrathin fibres that support higher order modes, these interactions are stronger and exhibit qualitatively new behaviour due to the coupling of different fibre modes, which have different propagation wave-vectors, by the particles. Here, we study one dimensional longitudinal optical binding interactions of chains of 3 μm polystyrene spheres under the influence of the evanescent fields of a two-mode microfibre. The observation of long-range interactions, self-ordering and speed variation of particle chains reveals strong optical binding effects between the particles that can be modelled well by a tritter scattering-matrix approach. The optical forces, optical binding interactions and the velocity of bounded particle chains are calculated using this method. Results show good agreement with finite element numerical simulations. Experimental data and theoretical analysis show that higher order modes in a microfibre offer a promising method to not only obtain stable, multiple particle trapping or faster particle propulsion speeds, but that they also allow for better control over each individual trapped object in particle ensembles near the microfibre surface. PMID:27451935

  4. Highly accurate pulse-per-second timing distribution over optical fibre network using VCSEL side-mode injection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wassin, Shukree; Isoe, George M.; Gamatham, Romeo R. G.; Leitch, Andrew W. R.; Gibbon, Tim B.

    2017-01-01

    Precise and accurate timing signals distributed between a centralized location and several end-users are widely used in both metro-access and speciality networks for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), GPS satellite systems, banking, very long baseline interferometry and science projects such as SKA radio telescope. Such systems utilize time and frequency technology to ensure phase coherence among data signals distributed across an optical fibre network. For accurate timing requirements, precise time intervals should be measured between successive pulses. In this paper we describe a novel, all optical method for quantifying one-way propagation times and phase perturbations in the fibre length, using pulse-persecond (PPS) signals. The approach utilizes side mode injection of a 1550nm 10Gbps vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) at the remote end. A 125 μs one-way time of flight was accurately measured for 25 km G655 fibre. Since the approach is all-optical, it avoids measurement inaccuracies introduced by electro-optical conversion phase delays. Furthermore, the implementation uses cost effective VCSEL technology and suited to a flexible range of network architectures, supporting a number of end-users conducting measurements at the remote end.

  5. Highly Strong and Elastic Graphene Fibres Prepared from Universal Graphene Oxide Precursors

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Guoji; Hou, Chengyi; Shao, Yuanlong; Wang, Hongzhi; Zhang, Qinghong; Li, Yaogang; Zhu, Meifang

    2014-01-01

    Graphene fibres are continuously prepared from universal graphene oxide precursors by a novel hydrogel-assisted spinning method. With assistance of a rolling process, meters of ribbon-like GFs, or GRs with improved conductivity, tensile strength, and a long-range ordered compact layer structure are successfully obtained. Furthermore, we refined our spinning process to obtained elastic GRs with a mixing microstructure and exceptional elasticity, which may provide a platform for electronic skins and wearable electronics, sensors, and energy devices. PMID:24576869

  6. Ultralong fibre-optic distributed Raman temperature sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuznetsov, A. G.; Kharenko, D. S.; Babin, S. A.; Tsydenzhapov, I. B.; Shelemba, I. S.

    2017-11-01

    We have demonstrated an ultralong (up to 85 km in length) all-fibre Raman temperature sensor which utilises SMF-28 standard single-mode telecom fibre and a 1.63-μm probe signal source. The probe signal from the laser diode is amplified by a Raman fibre amplifier. The temperature along a 85-km-long fibre line has been measured with an accuracy of 8°C and spatial resolution of 800 m or better.

  7. Filling in the voids of electrospun hydroxypropyl cellulose network: Dielectric investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maximean, Doina Manaila; Danila, Octavian; Ganea, Constantin Paul; Almeida, Pedro L.

    2018-04-01

    Here we describe an organic electro-optic device, obtained using electrospun hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) polymer fibres and nematic liquid crystals (LC). Its working mechanism is similar to that of a classic polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) device. The scanning electron microscopy of the HPC deposited fibres shows a mat of fibres with diameters in the nano and micron size range. Dielectric spectroscopy measurements allow the determination of the dependence of the dielectric constant and electric energy loss on frequency and temperature as well as the determination of the activation energy. The electro-optic study shows a very good optical transmission curve, with an "on"-"off" switching voltage of less than 1V/μ m.

  8. Cholesterol biosensor based on a plastic optical fibre with sol-gel: structural analysis and sensing properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razo-Medina, D. A.; Trejo-Durán, M.; Alvarado-Méndez, E.

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, we report the design and characterization of an optical fibre cholesterol biosensor by using sol-gel immobilization technique. The cholesterol enzyme is encapsulated inside of the sol-gel film onto an end of a plastic optical fibre. Two film deposition methods (Dip-Coating and Immersion) were studied. The morphology analysis and sensing properties permit us to determine the best film deposition to sense cholesterol concentration. The range of measured is 4.4-5.2 mM in real time and our results were validated by comparing them with other previously published results. The biosensor is portable, simple cheap, and easy to use.

  9. Fibre optic connectors with high-return-loss performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knott, Michael P.; Johnson, R.; Cooke, K.; Longhurst, P. C.

    1990-09-01

    This paper describes the development of a single mode fibre optic connector with high return loss performance without the use of index matching. Partial reflection of incident light at a fibre optic connector interface is a recognised problem where the result can be increased noise and waveform distortion. This is particularly important for video transmission in subscriber networks which requires a high signal to noise ratio. A number of methods can be used to improve the return loss. The method described here uses a process which angles the connector endfaces. Measurements show typical return losses of -55dB can be achieved for an end angle of 6 degrees. Insertion loss results are also presented.

  10. Correlations between axial stiffness and microstructure of a species of bamboo

    PubMed Central

    Mannan, Sayyad; Paul Knox, J.

    2017-01-01

    Bamboo is a ubiquitous monocotyledonous flowering plant and is a member of the true grass family Poaceae. In many parts of the world, it is widely used as a structural material especially in scaffolding and buildings. In spite of its wide use, there is no accepted methodology for standardizing a species of bamboo for a particular structural purpose. The task of developing structure–property correlations is complicated by the fact that bamboo is a hierarchical material whose structure at the nanoscopic level is not very well explored. However, we show that as far as stiffness is concerned, it is possible to obtain reliable estimates of important structural properties like the axial modulus from the knowledge of certain key elements of the microstructure. Stiffness of bamboo depends most sensitively on the size and arrangement of the fibre sheaths surrounding the vascular bundles and the arrangement of crystalline cellulose microfibrils in their secondary cell walls. For the species of bamboo studied in this work, we have quantitatively determined the radial gradation that the arrangement of fibres renders to the structure. The arrangement of the fibres gives bamboo a radially graded property variation across its cross section. PMID:28280545

  11. A Jones matrix formalism for simulating three-dimensional polarized light imaging of brain tissue.

    PubMed

    Menzel, M; Michielsen, K; De Raedt, H; Reckfort, J; Amunts, K; Axer, M

    2015-10-06

    The neuroimaging technique three-dimensional polarized light imaging (3D-PLI) provides a high-resolution reconstruction of nerve fibres in human post-mortem brains. The orientations of the fibres are derived from birefringence measurements of histological brain sections assuming that the nerve fibres—consisting of an axon and a surrounding myelin sheath—are uniaxial birefringent and that the measured optic axis is oriented in the direction of the nerve fibres (macroscopic model). Although experimental studies support this assumption, the molecular structure of the myelin sheath suggests that the birefringence of a nerve fibre can be described more precisely by multiple optic axes oriented radially around the fibre axis (microscopic model). In this paper, we compare the use of the macroscopic and the microscopic model for simulating 3D-PLI by means of the Jones matrix formalism. The simulations show that the macroscopic model ensures a reliable estimation of the fibre orientations as long as the polarimeter does not resolve structures smaller than the diameter of single fibres. In the case of fibre bundles, polarimeters with even higher resolutions can be used without losing reliability. When taking the myelin density into account, the derived fibre orientations are considerably improved. © 2015 The Author(s).

  12. Microstructural homogeneity of support silk spun by Eriophora fuliginea (C.L. Koch) determined by scanning X-ray microdiffraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riekel, C.; Craig, C. L.; Burghammer, M.; Müller, M.

    2001-01-01

    Scanning X-ray microdiffraction (SXD) permits the 'imaging' in-situ of crystalline phases, crystallinity and texture in whole biopolymer samples on the micrometre scale. SXD complements transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, which reach sub-nanometre lateral resolution but require thin sections and a vacuum environment. This is demonstrated using a support thread from a web spun by the orb-weaving spider Eriophora fuliginea (C.L. Koch). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows a central thread composed of two fibres to which thinner fibres are loosely attached. SXD of a piece of support thread approximately 60 µm long shows in addition the presence of nanometre-sized crystallites with the β-poly(L-alanine) structure in all fibres. The crystallinity of the thin fibres appears to be higher than that of the central thread, which probably reflects a higher polyalanine content of the fibroins. The molecular axis of the polymer chains in the central thread is orientated parallel to the macroscopic fibre axis, but in the thin fibres the molecular axis is tilted by about 71° to the macroscopic fibre axis. A helical model is tentatively proposed to describe this morphology. The central thread has a homogeneous distribution of crystallinity along the macroscopic fibre axis.

  13. Microstructure characterization of Al matrix composite reinforced with Ti-6Al-4V meshes after compression by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope.

    PubMed

    Guo, Q; Sun, D L; Han, X L; Cheng, S R; Chen, G Q; Jiang, L T; Wu, G H

    2012-02-01

    Compressive properties of Al matrix composite reinforced with Ti-6Al-4V meshes (TC4(m)/5A06 Al composite) under the strain rates of 10(-3)S(-1) and 1S(-1) at different temperature were measured and microstructure of composites after compression was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Compressive strength decreased with the test temperature increased and the strain-rate sensitivity (R) of composite increased with the increasing temperature. SEM observations showed that grains of Al matrix were elongated severely along 45° direction (angle between axis direction and fracture surface) and TC4 fibres were sheared into several parts in composite compressed under the strain rate of 10(-3)S(-1) at 25°C and 250°C. Besides, amounts of cracks were produced at the interfacial layer between TC4 fibre and Al matrix and in (Fe, Mn)Al(6) phases. With the compressive temperature increasing to 400°C, there was no damage at the interfacial layer between TC4 fibre and Al matrix and in (Fe, Mn)Al(6) phases, while equiaxed recrystal grains with sizes about 10 μm at the original grain boundaries of Al matrix were observed. However, interface separation of TC4 fibres and Al matrix occurred in composite compressed under the strain rate of 1S(-1) at 250°C and 400°C. With the compressive temperature increasing from 25°C to 100°C under the strain rate of 10(-3) S(-1), TEM microstructure in Al matrix exhibited high density dislocations and slipping bands (25°C), polygonized dislocations and dynamic recovery (100°C), equiaxed recrystals with sizes below 500 μm (250°C) and growth of equiaxed recrystals (400°C), respectively. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Microstructural and Compositional Features of the Fibrous and Hyaline Cartilage on the Medial Tibial Plateau Imply a Unique Role for the Hopping Locomotion of Kangaroo

    PubMed Central

    He, Bo; Wu, Jian Ping; Xu, Jiake; Day, Robert E.; Kirk, Thomas Brett

    2013-01-01

    Hopping provides efficient and energy saving locomotion for kangaroos, but it results in great forces in the knee joints. A previous study has suggested that a unique fibrous cartilage in the central region of the tibial cartilage could serve to decrease the peak stresses generated within kangaroo tibiofemoral joints. However, the influences of the microstructure, composition and mechanical properties of the central fibrous and peripheral hyaline cartilage on the function of the knee joints are still to be defined. The present study showed that the fibrous cartilage was thicker and had a lower chondrocyte density than the hyaline cartilage. Despite having a higher PG content in the middle and deep zones, the fibrous cartilage had an inferior compressive strength compared to the peripheral hyaline cartilage. The fibrous cartilage had a complex three dimensional collagen meshwork with collagen bundles parallel to the surface in the superficial zone, and with collagen bundles both parallel and perpendicular to the surface in the middle and deep zones. The collagen in the hyaline cartilage displayed a typical Benninghoff structure, with collagen fibres parallel to the surface in the superficial zone and collagen fibres perpendicular to the surface in the deep zone. Elastin fibres were found throughout the entire tissue depth of the fibrous cartilage and displayed a similar alignment to the adjacent collagen bundles. In comparison, the elastin fibres in the hyaline cartilage were confined within the superficial zone. This study examined for the first time the fibrillary structure, PG content and compressive properties of the central fibrous cartilage pad and peripheral hyaline cartilage within the kangaroo medial tibial plateau. It provided insights into the microstructure and composition of the fibrous and peripheral hyaline cartilage in relation to the unique mechanical properties of the tissues to provide for the normal activities of kangaroos. PMID:24058543

  15. Microstructural and compositional features of the fibrous and hyaline cartilage on the medial tibial plateau imply a unique role for the hopping locomotion of kangaroo.

    PubMed

    He, Bo; Wu, Jian Ping; Xu, Jiake; Day, Robert E; Kirk, Thomas Brett

    2013-01-01

    Hopping provides efficient and energy saving locomotion for kangaroos, but it results in great forces in the knee joints. A previous study has suggested that a unique fibrous cartilage in the central region of the tibial cartilage could serve to decrease the peak stresses generated within kangaroo tibiofemoral joints. However, the influences of the microstructure, composition and mechanical properties of the central fibrous and peripheral hyaline cartilage on the function of the knee joints are still to be defined. The present study showed that the fibrous cartilage was thicker and had a lower chondrocyte density than the hyaline cartilage. Despite having a higher PG content in the middle and deep zones, the fibrous cartilage had an inferior compressive strength compared to the peripheral hyaline cartilage. The fibrous cartilage had a complex three dimensional collagen meshwork with collagen bundles parallel to the surface in the superficial zone, and with collagen bundles both parallel and perpendicular to the surface in the middle and deep zones. The collagen in the hyaline cartilage displayed a typical Benninghoff structure, with collagen fibres parallel to the surface in the superficial zone and collagen fibres perpendicular to the surface in the deep zone. Elastin fibres were found throughout the entire tissue depth of the fibrous cartilage and displayed a similar alignment to the adjacent collagen bundles. In comparison, the elastin fibres in the hyaline cartilage were confined within the superficial zone. This study examined for the first time the fibrillary structure, PG content and compressive properties of the central fibrous cartilage pad and peripheral hyaline cartilage within the kangaroo medial tibial plateau. It provided insights into the microstructure and composition of the fibrous and peripheral hyaline cartilage in relation to the unique mechanical properties of the tissues to provide for the normal activities of kangaroos.

  16. A suite of optical fibre sensors for structural condition monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, T.; Grattan, K. T. V.; Carlton, J.

    2015-05-01

    This paper is to review the research activities at City University London in the development of a range of fibre Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors, including strain, temperature, relative humidity, vibration and acoustic sensors, with an aim to meet the increasing demands from industry for structural condition monitoring. As a result, arrays of optical fibre sensors have been instrumented into various types of structures, including concrete, limestone, marine propellers, pantograph and electrical motors, allowing for both static and dynamic monitoring and thus enhanced structural reliability and integrity.

  17. The microstructure and micromechanics of the tendon-bone insertion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rossetti, L.; Kuntz, L. A.; Kunold, E.; Schock, J.; Müller, K. W.; Grabmayr, H.; Stolberg-Stolberg, J.; Pfeiffer, F.; Sieber, S. A.; Burgkart, R.; Bausch, A. R.

    2017-06-01

    The exceptional mechanical properties of the load-bearing connection of tendon to bone rely on an intricate interplay of its biomolecular composition, microstructure and micromechanics. Here we identify that the Achilles tendon-bone insertion is characterized by an interface region of ~500 μm with a distinct fibre organization and biomolecular composition. Within this region, we identify a heterogeneous mechanical response by micromechanical testing coupled with multiscale confocal microscopy. This leads to localized strains that can be larger than the remotely applied strain. The subset of fibres that sustain the majority of loading in the interface area changes with the angle of force application. Proteomic analysis detects enrichment of 22 proteins in the interfacial region that are predominantly involved in cartilage and skeletal development as well as proteoglycan metabolism. The presented mechanisms mark a guideline for further biomimetic strategies to rationally design hard-soft interfaces.

  18. Assessment of nerve ultrastructure by fibre-optic confocal microscopy.

    PubMed

    Cushway, T R; Lanzetta, M; Cox, G; Trickett, R; Owen, E R

    1996-01-01

    Fibre-optic technology combined with confocality produces a microscope capable of optical thin sectioning. In this original study, tibial nerves have been stained in a rat model with a vital dye, 4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide, and analysed by fibre-optic confocal microscopy to produce detailed images of nerve ultrastructure. Schwann cells, nodes of Ranvier and longitudinal myelinated sheaths enclosing axons were clearly visible. Single axons appeared as brightly staining longitudinal structures. This allowed easy tracing of multiple signal axons within the nerve tissue. An accurate measurement of internodal lengths was easily accomplished. This technique is comparable to current histological techniques, but does not require biopsy, thin sectioning or tissue fixing. This study offers a standard for further in vivo microscopy, including the possibility of monitoring the progression of nerve regeneration following microsurgical neurorraphy.

  19. Strength and toughness of structural fibres for composite material reinforcement.

    PubMed

    Herráez, M; Fernández, A; Lopes, C S; González, C

    2016-07-13

    The characterization of the strength and fracture toughness of three common structural fibres, E-glass, AS4 carbon and Kevlar KM2, is presented in this work. The notched specimens were prepared by means of selective carving of individual fibres by means of the focused ion beam. A straight-fronted edge notch was introduced in a plane perpendicular to the fibre axis, with the relative notch depth being a0/D≈0.1 and the notch radius at the tip approximately 50 nm. The selection of the appropriate beam current during milling operations was performed to avoid to as much as possible any microstructural changes owing to ion impingement. Both notched and un-notched fibres were submitted to uniaxial tensile tests up to failure. The strength of the un-notched fibres was characterized in terms of the Weibull statistics, whereas the residual strength of the notched fibres was used to determine their apparent toughness. To this end, the stress intensity factor of a fronted edge crack was computed by means of the finite-element method for different crack lengths. The experimental results agreed with those reported in the literature for polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibres obtained by using similar techniques. After mechanical testing, the fracture surface of the fibres was analysed to ascertain the failure mechanisms. It was found that AS4 carbon and E-glass fibres presented the lower toughness with fracture surfaces perpendicular to the fibre axis, emanating from the notch tip. The fractured region of Kevlar KM2 fibres extended along the fibre and showed large permanent deformation, which explains their higher degree of toughness when compared with carbon and glass fibres. This article is part of the themed issue 'Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials'. © 2016 The Author(s).

  20. Strength and toughness of structural fibres for composite material reinforcement

    PubMed Central

    Herráez, M.; Fernández, A.; Lopes, C. S.

    2016-01-01

    The characterization of the strength and fracture toughness of three common structural fibres, E-glass, AS4 carbon and Kevlar KM2, is presented in this work. The notched specimens were prepared by means of selective carving of individual fibres by means of the focused ion beam. A straight-fronted edge notch was introduced in a plane perpendicular to the fibre axis, with the relative notch depth being a0/D≈0.1 and the notch radius at the tip approximately 50 nm. The selection of the appropriate beam current during milling operations was performed to avoid to as much as possible any microstructural changes owing to ion impingement. Both notched and un-notched fibres were submitted to uniaxial tensile tests up to failure. The strength of the un-notched fibres was characterized in terms of the Weibull statistics, whereas the residual strength of the notched fibres was used to determine their apparent toughness. To this end, the stress intensity factor of a fronted edge crack was computed by means of the finite-element method for different crack lengths. The experimental results agreed with those reported in the literature for polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibres obtained by using similar techniques. After mechanical testing, the fracture surface of the fibres was analysed to ascertain the failure mechanisms. It was found that AS4 carbon and E-glass fibres presented the lower toughness with fracture surfaces perpendicular to the fibre axis, emanating from the notch tip. The fractured region of Kevlar KM2 fibres extended along the fibre and showed large permanent deformation, which explains their higher degree of toughness when compared with carbon and glass fibres. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Multiscale modelling of the structural integrity of composite materials’. PMID:27242306

  1. Chemical and nutritional characteristics of high-fibre rye milling fractions.

    PubMed

    Kołodziejczyk, Piotr; Makowska, Agnieszka; Pospieszna, Barbara; Michniewicz, Jan; Paschke, Hanna

    2018-01-01

    Many studies have demonstrated the potential health benefits of consuming more high-fibre cereal-based food products. Therefore, there is a need to discover new ways to improve the overall nutritional balance of refined cereal products and focus on increasing their dietary fibre content, at the expense of readily digestible carbohydrates. Lab-scale milling and sieving of whole rye grain was used to obtain two fractions rich in dietary fibre. The fractions were analysed and compared, in terms of microstructure, chemical com- position and nutritional quality. The two fractions significantly obtained differed in their particle size and contents of minerals, available saccharides, and nutritional fractions of starch and dietary fibre and its major components. The total dietary fibre concentrations in the coarse and fine fractions were 50.0 and 36.0 g/100 g, respectively, i.e. three and 2.2 times higher than that of wholegrain rye flour. Both fractions also differed in their relative proportions of major fibre components. In the fine fraction, the levels of soluble fibre, as well as soluble arabinoxylans and fructans, were significantly higher than those in the coarse fraction. It was shown that the application of a simple dry-fractionation method to wholemeal rye flour allows the preparation of two rye products which can serve as concentrated sources of dietary fibre low in available saccharides.

  2. Rapid constructions of microstructures for optical fiber sensors using a commercial CO2 laser system.

    PubMed

    Irawan, Rudi; Chuan, Tjin Swee; Meng, Tay Chia; Ming, Tan Khay

    2008-06-27

    Exposing an optical fiber core to the measurand surrounding the fiber is often used to enhance the sensitivity of an optical fiber sensor. This paper reports on the rapid fabrication of microstructures in an optical fiber using a CO₂ laser system which help exposing the optical fiber core to the measurand. The direct-write CO₂ laser system used is originally designed for engraving the polymeric material. Fabrications of microstructures such as in-fiber microhole, D-shaped fiber, in-fiber microchannel, side-sliced fiber and tapered fiber were attempted. The microstructures in the fibers were examined using a SEM and an optical microscope. Quality of microstructures shown by the SEM images and promising results from fluorescence sensor tests using in-fiber microchannels of 100μm width, 210μm depth and 10mm length show the prospect of this method for use in optical fiber sensor development. The direct-write CO₂ laser system is a flexible and fast machining tool for fabricating microstructures in an optical fiber, and can possibly be a replacement of the time consuming chemical etching and polishing methods used for microstructure fabrications of optical the fiber sensors reported in other literatures.

  3. Rapid Constructions of Microstructures for Optical Fiber Sensors Using a Commercial CO2 Laser System

    PubMed Central

    Irawan, Rudi; Chuan, Tjin Swee; Meng, Tay Chia; Ming, Tan Khay

    2008-01-01

    Exposing an optical fiber core to the measurand surrounding the fiber is often used to enhance the sensitivity of an optical fiber sensor. This paper reports on the rapid fabrication of microstructures in an optical fiber using a CO2 laser system which help exposing the optical fiber core to the measurand. The direct-write CO2 laser system used is originally designed for engraving the polymeric material. Fabrications of microstructures such as in-fiber microhole, D-shaped fiber, in-fiber microchannel, side-sliced fiber and tapered fiber were attempted. The microstructures in the fibers were examined using a SEM and an optical microscope. Quality of microstructures shown by the SEM images and promising results from fluorescence sensor tests using in-fiber microchannels of 100μm width, 210μm depth and 10mm length show the prospect of this method for use in optical fiber sensor development. The direct-write CO2 laser system is a flexible and fast machining tool for fabricating microstructures in an optical fiber, and can possibly be a replacement of the time consuming chemical etching and polishing methods used for microstructure fabrications of optical the fiber sensors reported in other literatures. PMID:19662114

  4. Surface treated polypropylene (PP) fibres for reinforced concrete

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    López-Buendía, Angel M., E-mail: buendia@uv.es; Romero-Sánchez, María Dolores; Climent, Verónica

    Surface treatments on a polypropylene (PP) fibre have contributed to the improvement of fibre/concrete adhesion in fibre-reinforced concrete. The treatments to the PP fibre were characterized by contact angle measurements, ATR-IR and XPS to analyse chemical alterations. The surface topography and fibre/concrete interaction were analysed by several microscopic techniques, namely optical petrographic, and scanning electron microscopy. Treatment modified the surface chemistry and topography of the fibre by introducing sodium moieties and created additional fibre surface roughness. Modifications in the fibre surface led to an increase in the adhesion properties between the treated fibres and concrete and an improvement in themore » mechanical properties of the fibre-reinforced concrete composite as compared to the concrete containing untreated PP fibres. Compatibility with the concrete and increased roughness and mineral surface was also improved by nucleated portlandite and ettringite mineral association anchored on the alkaline PP fibre surface, which is induced during treatment.« less

  5. FIBRE AND INTEGRATED OPTICS. OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Feasibility of using waveguide holograms in systems for the transfer of amplitude—phase information along fibre communication lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dianov, Evgenii M.; Zubov, Vladimir A.; Putilin, A. N.

    1995-02-01

    An analysis is made of a variant of a system for spatial—temporal transformation of spatially one-dimensional information for its transfer along a single-mode fibre waveguide. Information is coupled into a fibre by a waveguide hologram. This hologram forms a light-beam structure which matches the fibre-guided mode. A report is given of the use of ion-exchange planar glass waveguides as waveguide holograms. An amorphous chalcogenide semiconductor film or a photoresist was deposited by evaporation on such a planar waveguide. Reconstruction of the waveguide hologram made it possible to achieve a high read rate, up to 1011 pixels per second, when a short radiation pulse was used. Multisectioned injection semiconductor lasers, operating under Q-switching conditions, were used as the radiation sources.

  6. Hybrid Er/Yb fibre laser system for generating few-cycle 1.6 to 2.0 {mu}m pulses optically synchronised with high-power pulses near 1 {mu}m

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Andrianov, A V; Anashkina, E A; Murav'ev, S V

    2013-03-31

    This paper presents the concept of fibre laser system design for generating optically synchronised femtosecond pulses at two, greatly differing wavelengths and reports experimental and numerical simulation studies of nonlinear conversion of femtosecond pulses at 1.5 {mu}m wavelength in a dispersion-shifted fibre, with the generation of synchronised pulses in the ranges 1.6 - 2 and 1 - 1.1 {mu}m. We describe a three-stage high-power fibre amplifier of femtosecond pulses at 1 {mu}m and a hybrid Er/Yb fibre laser system that has enabled the generation of 12 fs pulses with a centre wavelength of 1.7 {mu}m, synchronised with high-power (microjoule level)more » 250 fs pulses at 1.03 {mu}m. (extreme light fields and their applications)« less

  7. Durability of Waste Glass Flax Fiber Reinforced Mortar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aly, M.; Hashmi, M. S. J.; Olabi, A. G.; Messeiry, M.

    2011-01-01

    The main concern for natural fibre reinforced mortar composites is the durability of the fibres in the alkaline environment of cement. The composites may undergo a reduction in strength as a result of weakening of the fibres by a combination of alkali attack and fibre mineralisation. In order to enhance the durability of natural fiber reinforced cement composites several approaches have been studied including fiber impregnation, sealing of the matrix pore system and reduction of matrix alkalinity through the use of pozzolanic materials. In this study waste glass powder was used as a pozzolanic additive to improve the durability performance of flax fiber reinforced mortar (FFRM). The durability of the FFRM was studied by determining the effects of ageing in water and exposure to wetting and drying cycles; on the microstructures and flexural behaviour of the composites. The mortar tests demonstrated that the waste glass powder has significant effect on improving the durability of FFRM.

  8. Measuring the Dispersion Curve of a PMMA-Fibre Optic Cable Using a Dye Laser

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zorba, Serkan; Farah, Constantine; Pant, Ravi

    2010-01-01

    An advanced undergraduate laboratory experiment is outlined which uses a dye laser to map out the chromatic dispersion curve of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) optical fibre. Seven different wavelengths across the visible spectrum are employed using five different dyes. The light pulse is split into two pulses, one to a nearby photodetector and…

  9. Plastic optical fibre sensor for in-vivo radiation monitoring during brachytherapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woulfe, P.; Sullivan, F. J.; Lewis, E.; O'Keeffe, S.

    2015-09-01

    An optical fibre sensor is presented for applications in real-time in-vivo monitoring of the radiation dose a cancer patient receives during seed implantation in Brachytherapy. The sensor is based on radioluminescence whereby radiation sensitive scintillation material is embedded in the core of a 1mm plastic optical fibre. Three scintillation materials are investigated: thallium-doped caesium iodide (CsI:Tl), terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulphide (Gd2O2S:Tb) and europium-doped lanthanum oxysulphide (La2O2S:Eu). Terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulphide was identified as being the most suitable scintillator and further testing demonstrates its measureable response to different activities of Iodine-125, the radio-active source commonly used in Brachytherapy for treating prostate cancer.

  10. Advanced Fibre Bragg Grating and Microfibre Bragg Grating Fabrication Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chung, Kit Man

    Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) have become a very important technology for communication systems and fibre optic sensing. Typically, FBGs are less than 10-mm long and are fabricated using fused silica uniform phase masks which become more expensive for longer length or non-uniform pitch. Generally, interference UV laser beams are employed to make long or complex FBGs, and this technique introduces critical precision and control issues. In this work, we demonstrate an advanced FBG fabrication system that enables the writing of long and complex gratings in optical fibres with virtually any apodisation profile, local phase and Bragg wavelength using a novel optical design in which the incident angles of two UV beams onto an optical fibre can be adjusted simultaneously by moving just one optical component, instead of two optics employed in earlier configurations, to vary the grating pitch. The key advantage of the grating fabrication system is that complex gratings can be fabricated by controlling the linear movements of two translation stages. In addition to the study of advanced grating fabrication technique, we also focus on the inscription of FBGs written in optical fibres with a cladding diameter of several ten's of microns. Fabrication of microfibres was investigated using a sophisticated tapering method. We also proposed a simple but practical technique to filter out the higher order modes reflected from the FBG written in microfibres via a linear taper region while the fundamental mode re-couples to the core. By using this technique, reflection from the microfibre Bragg grating (MFBG) can be effectively single mode, simplifying the demultiplexing and demodulation processes. MFBG exhibits high sensitivity to contact force and an MFBG-based force sensor was also constructed and tested to investigate their suitability for use as an invasive surgery device. Performance of the contact force sensor packaged in a conforming elastomer material compares favourably to one of the best-performing commercial contact force sensors in catheterization applications. The proposed sensor features extremely high sensitivity up to 1.37-mN, miniature size (2.4-mm) that meets standard specification, excellent linearity, low hysteresis, and magnetic resonance imaging compatibility.

  11. Experimental study of the mutual influence of fibre Faraday elements in a spun-fibre interferometer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gubin, V P; Morshnev, S K; Przhiyalkovsky, Ya V

    2015-08-31

    An all-spun-fibre linear reflective interferometer with two linked Faraday fibre coils is studied. It is found experimentally that there is mutual influence of Faraday fibre coils in this interferometer. It manifests itself as an additional phase shift of the interferometer response, which depends on the circular birefringence induced by the Faraday effect in both coils. In addition, the interferometer contrast and magneto-optical sensitivity of one of the coils change. A probable physical mechanism of the discovered effect is the distributed coupling of orthogonal polarised waves in the fibre medium, which is caused by fibre bend in the coil. (interferometry)

  12. The hygroscopic behavior of plant fibres: a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Célino, Amandine; Freour, Sylvain; Jacquemin, Frederic; Casari, Pascal

    2013-12-01

    Environmental concern has resulted in a renewed interest in bio-based materials. Among them, plant fibres are perceived as an environmentally friendly substitute to glass fibres for the reinforcement of composites, particularly in automotive engineering. Due to their wide availability, low cost, low density, high-specific mechanical properties and eco-friendly image, they are increasingly being employed as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites. Indeed, their complex microstructure as a composite material makes plant fibre a really interesting and challenging subject to study. Research subjects about such fibres are abundant because there are always some issues to prevent their use at large scale (poor adhesion, variability, low thermal resistance, hydrophilic behavior). The choice of natural fibres rather than glass fibres as filler yields a change of the final properties of the composite. One of the most relevant differences between the two kinds of fibre is their response to humidity. Actually, glass fibres are considered as hydrophobic whereas plant fibres have a pronounced hydrophilic behavior. Composite materials are often submitted to variable climatic conditions during their lifetime, including unsteady hygroscopic conditions. However, in humid conditions, strong hydrophilic behaviour of such reinforcing fibres leads to high level of moisture absorption in wet environments. This results in the structural modification of the fibres and an evolution of their mechanical properties together with the composites in which they are fitted in. Thereby, the understanding of these moisture absorption mechanisms as well as the influence of water on the final properties of these fibres and their composites is of great interest to get a better control of such new biomaterials. This is the topic of this review paper.

  13. Distributed gas sensing with optical fibre photothermal interferometry.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yuechuan; Liu, Fei; He, Xiangge; Jin, Wei; Zhang, Min; Yang, Fan; Ho, Hoi Lut; Tan, Yanzhen; Gu, Lijuan

    2017-12-11

    We report the first distributed optical fibre trace-gas detection system based on photothermal interferometry (PTI) in a hollow-core photonic bandgap fibre (HC-PBF). Absorption of a modulated pump propagating in the gas-filled HC-PBF generates distributed phase modulation along the fibre, which is detected by a dual-pulse heterodyne phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (OTDR) system. Quasi-distributed sensing experiment with two 28-meter-long HC-PBF sensing sections connected by single-mode transmission fibres demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of ∼10 ppb acetylene with a pump power level of 55 mW and an effective noise bandwidth (ENBW) of 0.01 Hz, corresponding to a normalized detection limit of 5.5ppb⋅W/Hz. Distributed sensing experiment over a 200-meter-long sensing cable made of serially connected HC-PBFs demonstrated a LOD of ∼ 5 ppm with 62.5 mW peak pump power and 11.8 Hz ENBW, or a normalized detection limit of 312ppb⋅W/Hz. The spatial resolution of the current distributed detection system is limited to ∼ 30 m, but it is possible to reduce down to 1 meter or smaller by optimizing the phase detection system.

  14. Fluorescence fibre-optic confocal microscopy of skin in vivo: microscope and fluorophores.

    PubMed

    Suihko, Christian; Swindle, Lucinda D; Thomas, Steven G; Serup, Jørgen

    2005-11-01

    Fibre-optic confocal imaging in vivo is a new approach in the assessment of human skin. The objective is to describe a novel instrument and its operation and use in combination with fluorophores. The Stratum is a fibre-optic fluorescence confocal microscope especially developed for the study of skin and mucous membranes. The system is flexible and any body site can be studied with a hand-held scanner. The light source is a 488 nm argon ion laser. Horizontal (en face) images of the epidermis and outer dermis are produced with cellular resolution. Magnification is approximately 1000 x . Fluorescein sodium is routinely used as fluorophore (intradermal injection or application to the skin surface). This fluorophore is safe for human use in vivo, but other substances (rhodamine B, Acridine Orange, green fluorescent protein, curcumin) have also been studied. The instrument produces sharp images of epidermal cell layers from the epidermal surface to the sub-papillary dermis, with sub-cellular resolution. The scanner is flexible in use. The technique of intradermal fluorophore injection requires some skill. We consider this fibre-optic instrument a potentially important tool in skin research for non-invasive optical biopsy of primarily the epidermis. Present use is focussed on research applications, where the fluorophore distribution in the skin may illustrate morphological changes in the epidermis.

  15. Ballistic damage in hybrid composite laminates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phadnis, Vaibhav A.; Pandya, Kedar S.; Naik, Niranjan K.; Roy, Anish; Silberschmidt, Vadim V.

    2015-07-01

    Ballistic damage of hybrid woven-fabric composites made of plain-weave E-glass- fabric/epoxy and 8H satin-weave T300 carbon-fabric/epoxy is studied using a combination of experimental tests, microstructural studies and finite-element (FE) analysis. Ballistic tests were conducted with a single-stage gas gun. Fibre damage and delamination were observed to be dominating failure modes. A ply-level FE model was developed, with a fabric-reinforced ply modelled as a homogeneous orthotropic material with capacity to sustain progressive stiffness degradation due to fibre/matrix cracking, fibre breaking and plastic deformation under shear loading. Simulated damage patterns on the front and back faces of fabric-reinforced composite plates provided an insight into their damage mechanisms under ballistic loading.

  16. Dental caries detection by optical spectroscopy: a polarized Raman approach with fibre-optic coupling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ko, A. C.-T.; Choo-Smith, L.-P.; Werner, J.; Hewko, M.; Sowa, M. G.; Dong, C.; Cleghorn, B.

    2006-09-01

    Incipient dental caries lesions appear as white spots on the tooth surface; however, accurate detection of early approximal lesions is difficult due to limited sensitivity of dental radiography and other traditional diagnostic tools. A new fibre-optic coupled spectroscopic method based on polarized Raman spectroscopy (P-RS) with near-IR laser excitation is introduced which provides contrast for detecting and characterizing incipient caries. Changes in polarized Raman spectra are observed in PO 4 3- vibrations arising from hydroxyapatite of mineralized tooth tissue. Demineralization-induced morphological/orientational alteration of enamel crystallites is believed to be responsible for the reduction of Raman polarization anisotropy observed in the polarized Raman spectra of caries lesions. Supporting evidence obtained by polarized Raman spectral imaging is presented. A specially designed fibre-optic coupled setup for simultaneous measurement of parallel- and cross-polarized tooth Raman spectra is demonstrated in this study.

  17. Real-time measurements of spontaneous breathers and rogue wave events in optical fibre modulation instability

    PubMed Central

    Närhi, Mikko; Wetzel, Benjamin; Billet, Cyril; Toenger, Shanti; Sylvestre, Thibaut; Merolla, Jean-Marc; Morandotti, Roberto; Dias, Frederic; Genty, Goëry; Dudley, John M.

    2016-01-01

    Modulation instability is a fundamental process of nonlinear science, leading to the unstable breakup of a constant amplitude solution of a physical system. There has been particular interest in studying modulation instability in the cubic nonlinear Schrödinger equation, a generic model for a host of nonlinear systems including superfluids, fibre optics, plasmas and Bose–Einstein condensates. Modulation instability is also a significant area of study in the context of understanding the emergence of high amplitude events that satisfy rogue wave statistical criteria. Here, exploiting advances in ultrafast optical metrology, we perform real-time measurements in an optical fibre system of the unstable breakup of a continuous wave field, simultaneously characterizing emergent modulation instability breather pulses and their associated statistics. Our results allow quantitative comparison between experiment, modelling and theory, and are expected to open new perspectives on studies of instability dynamics in physics. PMID:27991513

  18. Single-shot observation of optical rogue waves in integrable turbulence using time microscopy

    PubMed Central

    Suret, Pierre; Koussaifi, Rebecca El; Tikan, Alexey; Evain, Clément; Randoux, Stéphane; Szwaj, Christophe; Bielawski, Serge

    2016-01-01

    Optical fibres are favourable tabletop laboratories to investigate both coherent and incoherent nonlinear waves. In particular, exact solutions of the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equation such as fundamental solitons or solitons on finite background can be generated by launching periodic, specifically designed coherent waves in optical fibres. It is an open fundamental question to know whether these coherent structures can emerge from the nonlinear propagation of random waves. However the typical sub-picosecond timescale prevented—up to now—time-resolved observations of the awaited dynamics. Here, we report temporal ‘snapshots' of random light using a specially designed ‘time-microscope'. Ultrafast structures having peak powers much larger than the average optical power are generated from the propagation of partially coherent waves in optical fibre and are recorded with 250 femtoseconds resolution. Our experiment demonstrates the central role played by ‘breather-like' structures such as the Peregrine soliton in the emergence of heavy-tailed statistics in integrable turbulence. PMID:27713416

  19. Optical fibre multi-parameter sensing with secure cloud based signal capture and processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newe, Thomas; O'Connell, Eoin; Meere, Damien; Yuan, Hongwei; Leen, Gabriel; O'Keeffe, Sinead; Lewis, Elfed

    2016-05-01

    Recent advancements in cloud computing technologies in the context of optical and optical fibre based systems are reported. The proliferation of real time and multi-channel based sensor systems represents significant growth in data volume. This coupled with a growing need for security presents many challenges and presents a huge opportunity for an evolutionary step in the widespread application of these sensing technologies. A tiered infrastructural system approach is adopted that is designed to facilitate the delivery of Optical Fibre-based "SENsing as a Service- SENaaS". Within this infrastructure, novel optical sensing platforms, deployed within different environments, are interfaced with a Cloud-based backbone infrastructure which facilitates the secure collection, storage and analysis of real-time data. Feedback systems, which harness this data to affect a change within the monitored location/environment/condition, are also discussed. The cloud based system presented here can also be used with chemical and physical sensors that require real-time data analysis, processing and feedback.

  20. Acousto-optic devices for operation with 2μm fibre lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward, J. D.; Stevens, G.; Shardlow, P. C.

    2016-03-01

    Fibre lasers operating in the 2μm region are of increasing interest for a range of applications, including laser machining and biomedical systems. The large mode area compared to 1μm fibre lasers combined with operation in an "eye-safe" region of the spectrum makes them particularly attractive. When developing fibre lasers at 1μm and 1·5μm manufacturers were able to call upon enabling technologies used by the telecoms industry, but at longer wavelengths, including 2μm, many such components are either unavailable or immature. We report on recent developments of Acousto-Optic Modulators and Tunable Filters that are specifically optimised for use with fibre systems operating at or around 2μm. AO devices are interesting due to their ability to conserve spatial-coherence, making them appropriate for use with single-mode optical fibres. We describe how the choice of interaction medium is an important consideration, particularly affecting the drive power and the polarisation behaviour of the device - the latter being an important parameter when used in a fibre system. We also describe two designs of AO Tunable Filter intended for laser tuning. Both designs have been demonstrated intracavity in 2μm fibre lasers. The first gives exceptionally narrow resolution (δλ/λ<0·1%). The second design is of a novel type of AOTF where a matched pair of AOTFs is configured to give a substantially net zero frequency-shift with little or no loss of pointing stability, any minor deviations in manufacture being self-compensated. Furthermore, small controlled frequency-shifts (up to about 10kHz) may be introduced with little or no detriment to the alignment of the system.

  1. FRD and scrambling properties of recent non-circular fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Avila, Gerardo

    2012-09-01

    Optical fibres with octagonal, square and rectangular core shapes have been proposed as alternative to the circular fibres to link the telescopes to spectrographs in order to increase the accuracy of radial velocity measurements. Theoretically they offer better scrambling properties than their circular counterparts. First commercial octagonal fibres provided good near field scrambling gains. Unfortunately the far field scrambling did not show important figures. This article shows test results on new fibres from CeramOptec. The measurements show substantial improvements of the far field scrambling gains. In addition, evaluation of their focal ratio degradation (FRD) shows much better performances than previous fibres.

  2. Fibre-specific white matter reductions in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

    PubMed

    Mito, Remika; Raffelt, David; Dhollander, Thijs; Vaughan, David N; Tournier, J-Donald; Salvado, Olivier; Brodtmann, Amy; Rowe, Christopher C; Villemagne, Victor L; Connelly, Alan

    2018-01-04

    Alzheimer's disease is increasingly considered a large-scale network disconnection syndrome, associated with progressive aggregation of pathological proteins, cortical atrophy, and functional disconnections between brain regions. These pathological changes are posited to arise in a stereotypical spatiotemporal manner, targeting intrinsic networks in the brain, most notably the default mode network. While this network-specific disruption has been thoroughly studied with functional neuroimaging, changes to specific white matter fibre pathways within the brain's structural networks have not been closely investigated, largely due to the challenges of modelling complex white matter structure. Here, we applied a novel technique known as 'fixel-based analysis' to comprehensively investigate fibre tract-specific differences at a within-voxel level (called 'fixels') to assess potential axonal loss in subjects with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. We hypothesized that patients with Alzheimer's disease would exhibit extensive degeneration across key fibre pathways connecting default network nodes, while patients with mild cognitive impairment would exhibit selective degeneration within fibre pathways connecting regions previously identified as functionally implicated early in Alzheimer's disease. Diffusion MRI data from Alzheimer's disease (n = 49), mild cognitive impairment (n = 33), and healthy elderly control subjects (n = 95) were obtained from the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle study of ageing. We assessed microstructural differences in fibre density, and macrostructural differences in fibre bundle morphology using fixel-based analysis. Whole-brain analysis was performed to compare groups across all white matter fixels. Subsequently, we performed a tract of interest analysis comparing fibre density and cross-section across 11 selected white matter tracts, to investigate potentially subtle degeneration within fibre pathways in mild cognitive impairment, initially by clinical diagnosis alone, and then by including amyloid status (i.e. a positive or negative amyloid PET scan). Our whole-brain analysis revealed significant white matter loss manifesting both microstructurally and macrostructurally in Alzheimer's disease patients, evident in specific fibre pathways associated with default mode network nodes. Reductions in fibre density and cross-section in mild cognitive impairment patients were only exhibited within the posterior cingulum when statistical analyses were limited to tracts of interest. Interestingly, these degenerative changes did not appear to be associated with high amyloid accumulation, given that amyloid-negative, but not positive, mild cognitive impairment subjects exhibited subtle focal left posterior cingulum deficits. The findings of this study demonstrated a stereotypical distribution of white matter degeneration in patients with Alzheimer's disease, which was in line with canonical findings from other imaging modalities, and with a network-based conceptualization of the disease. © The Author(s) (2018). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  3. Light focusing in the Anderson regime.

    PubMed

    Leonetti, Marco; Karbasi, Salman; Mafi, Arash; Conti, Claudio

    2014-07-29

    Anderson localization is a regime in which diffusion is inhibited and waves (also electromagnetic waves) get localized. Here we exploit adaptive optics to achieve focusing in disordered optical fibres in the Anderson regime. By wavefront shaping and optimization, we observe the generation of a propagation-invariant beam, where light is trapped transversally by disorder, and show that Anderson localizations can be also excited by extended speckled beams. We demonstrate that disordered fibres allow a more efficient focusing action with respect to standard fibres in a way independent of their length, because of the propagation-invariant features and cooperative action of transverse localizations.

  4. A 24mm diameter fibre positioner for spectroscopic surveys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hörler, Philipp; Kronig, Luzius; Kneib, Jean-Paul; Bleuler, Hannes; Bouri, Mohamed

    2016-07-01

    One of the big research topics in modern cosmology is the mystery of dark Energy. To unveil the secret, cosmologists want to measure precisely the evolution of large scale structures in the universe. One way of doing so is to measure the 3D location of a high number of galaxies. By measuring the redshift of a galaxy, it is possible to find its distance. In order to measure a high number of galaxies in a practical amount of time, we need to observe multiple objects in parallel. Instead of a spectrograph, thousands of optical fibres are placed in the focal plane of a telescope. They will transmit the light of many objects to a spectrograph. Each fibre has to be positioned to several μm precision in the focal plane of a telescope for each exposure. Each fibre is positioned by a 2-axis fibre positioner. In this paper such a fibre positioner with 24-mm diameter is presented. It is driven by two brushless DC motors in combination with a backlash free gearbox. The positioner has an optimal central fibre path and improved angular alignment. The fibre runs through the centre of the positioner and is only bent at the top to reach its target position. In this way, the flexion and torsion of the fibre are minimal. In addition to the high positioning accuracy, the design is optimized to allow a minimal tilt error of the fibre. This is demonstrated using a novel optical tilt measurement system.

  5. A fibre optic fluorescence sensor to measure redox level in tissues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Wen Qi; Morrison, Janna L.; Darby, Jack R. T.; Plush, Sally; Sorvina, Alexandra; Brooks, Doug; Monro, Tanya M.; Afshar Vahid, Shahraam

    2018-01-01

    We report the design of a fibre optic-based redox detection system for investigating differences in metabolic activities of tissues. Our system shows qualitative agreement with the results collected from a commercial two- photon microscope system. Thus, demonstrating the feasibility of building an ex vivo and in vivo redox detection system that is low cost and portable.

  6. Fabrication of Polymer Optical Fibre (POF) Gratings

    PubMed Central

    Luo, Yanhua; Yan, Binbin; Zhang, Qijin; Peng, Gang-Ding; Wen, Jianxiang; Zhang, Jianzhong

    2017-01-01

    Gratings inscribed in polymer optical fibre (POF) have attracted remarkable interest for many potential applications due to their distinctive properties. This paper overviews the current state of fabrication of POF gratings since their first demonstration in 1999. In particular we summarize and discuss POF materials, POF photosensitivity, techniques and issues of fabricating POF gratings, as well as various types of POF gratings. PMID:28273844

  7. A new fibre optic pulse oximeter probe for monitoring splanchnic organ arterial blood oxygen saturation.

    PubMed

    Hickey, M; Samuels, N; Randive, N; Langford, R; Kyriacou, P A

    2012-12-01

    A new, continuous method of monitoring splanchnic organ oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) would make the early detection of inadequate tissue oxygenation feasible, reducing the risk of hypoperfusion, severe ischaemia, and, ultimately, death. In an attempt to provide such a device, a new fibre optic based reflectance pulse oximeter probe and processing system were developed followed by an in vivo evaluation of the technology on seventeen patients undergoing elective laparotomy. Photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals of good quality and high signal-to-noise ratio were obtained from the small bowel, large bowel, liver and stomach. Simultaneous peripheral PPG signals from the finger were also obtained for comparison purposes. Analysis of the amplitudes of all acquired PPG signals indicated much larger amplitudes for those signals obtained from splanchnic organs than those obtained from the finger. Estimated SpO(2) values for splanchnic organs showed good agreement with those obtained from the finger fibre optic probe and those obtained from a commercial device. These preliminary results suggest that a miniaturized 'indwelling' fibre optic sensor may be a suitable method for pre-operative and post-operative evaluation of splanchnic organ SpO(2) and their health. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Atmospheric dispersion corrector for the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Ding-Qiang; Jia, Peng; Liu, Genrong

    2012-02-01

    The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) is the largest, wide field-of-view (FOV) telescope (with an aperture of 4 m), and it is equipped with the highest number (4000) of optical fibres in the world. For the LAMOST North and the LAMOST South, the FOVs are 5° and 3.5°, respectively, and the linear diameters are 1.75 m and 1.22 m, respectively. A new type of atmospheric dispersion corrector (ADC) is put forward and designed for LAMOST. It is a segmented lens, which consists of many lens-prism strips. Although it is very large, its thickness is only 12 mm. Thus, the difficulty of obtaining a large optical glass is avoided, and the aberration caused by the ADC is small. By moving this segmented lens along the optical axis, different dispersions can be obtained. We discuss the effects of ADC's slits on the diffraction energy distribution and on the obstruction of light. We calculate and discuss the aberration caused by the ADC. All these results are acceptable. Such an ADC could also be used for other optical fibre spectroscopic telescopes, especially those which a have very large FOV.

  9. Biosensors for detecting stress in developing embryos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purdey, Malcolm S.; Saini, Avishkar; McLennan, Hanna J.; Pullen, Benjamin J.; Schartner, Erik P.; Sutton-McDowall, Melanie L.; Thompson, Jeremy G.; Monro, Tanya M.; Nicholls, Stephen J.; Abell, Andrew D.

    2016-12-01

    Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) cause DNA damage and defective function in sperm and also affects the developmental competence of embryos. It is therefore critical to monitor ROS in sperm, oocytes and developing embryos. In particular, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a ROS important to normal cell function and signalling as well as its role in oxidative stress. Here we report the development of a fluorescent sensor for H2O2 using carboxyperoxyfluor-1 (CPF1) in solution and attached to a glass slide or multi-mode optical fibre. CPF1 increases in fluorescence upon reaction with H2O2 to non-invasively detect H2O2 near developing embryos. These probes are constructed by immobilising CPF1 to the optical fibre tip a polyacrylamide layer. Also reported is a new dual optical fibre sensor for detecting both H2O2 and pH that is functional at biologically concentrations of H2O2 and can sense pH to 0.1 units. This research shows promise for the use of optical fibre sensors for monitoring the health of developing embryos. Furthermore, these sensors are applicable for use beyond embryos such as detecting stress in endothelial cells involved in cardiovascular dysfunction.

  10. All-fibre photonic signal generator for attosecond timing and ultralow-noise microwave

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Kwangyun; Kim, Jungwon

    2015-01-01

    High-impact frequency comb applications that are critically dependent on precise pulse timing (i.e., repetition rate) have recently emerged and include the synchronization of X-ray free-electron lasers, photonic analogue-to-digital conversion and photonic radar systems. These applications have used attosecond-level timing jitter of free-running mode-locked lasers on a fast time scale within ~100 μs. Maintaining attosecond-level absolute jitter over a significantly longer time scale can dramatically improve many high-precision comb applications. To date, ultrahigh quality-factor (Q) optical resonators have been used to achieve the highest-level repetition-rate stabilization of mode-locked lasers. However, ultrahigh-Q optical-resonator-based methods are often fragile, alignment sensitive and complex, which limits their widespread use. Here we demonstrate a fibre-delay line-based repetition-rate stabilization method that enables the all-fibre photonic generation of optical pulse trains with 980-as (20-fs) absolute r.m.s. timing jitter accumulated over 0.01 s (1 s). This simple approach is based on standard off-the-shelf fibre components and can therefore be readily used in various comb applications that require ultra-stable microwave frequency and attosecond optical timing. PMID:26531777

  11. Fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing in combined sewer systems.

    PubMed

    Schilperoort, R P S; Clemens, F H L R

    2009-01-01

    This paper introduces the application of fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) in combined sewer systems. The DTS-technique uses a fibre-optic cable that is inserted into a combined sewer system in combination with a laser instrument that performs measurements and logs the data. The DTS-technique allows monitoring in-sewer temperatures with dense spatial and temporal resolutions. The installation of a fibre-optic cable in a combined sewer system has proven feasible. The use of a single instrument in an easy accessible and safe location that can simultaneously monitor up to several hundreds of monitoring locations makes the DTS set-up easy in use and nearly free of maintenance. Temperature data from a one-week monitoring campaign in an 1,850 m combined sewer system shows the level of detail with which in-sewer processes that affect wastewater temperatures can be studied. Individual discharges from house-connections can be tracked in time and space. With a dedicated cable configuration the confluence of wastewater flows can be observed with a potential to derive the relative contributions of contributary flows to a total flow. Also, the inflow and in-sewer propagation of stormwater can be monitored.

  12. Natural fibres actuators for smart bio-inspired hygromorph biocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le Duigou, Antoine; Requile, Samuel; Beaugrand, Johnny; Scarpa, Fabrizio; Castro, Mickael

    2017-12-01

    Hygromorph biocomposite (HBC) actuators make use of the transport properties of plant fibres to generate an out-of-plane displacement when a moisture gradient is present. HBC actuators possess a design based on the bilayer configuration of natural hygromorph actuators (like pine cone, wheat awn, Selaginella lepidophyll). In this work we present a series of design guidelines for HBCs with improved performance, low environmental footprints and high durability in severe environments. We develop a theoretical actuating response (curvature) formulation of maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP)/plant fibres based on bimetallic actuators theory. The actuation response is evaluated as a function of the fibre type (flax, jute, kenaf and coir). We demonstrate that the actuation is directly related to the fibre microstructure and its biochemical composition. The jute and flax fibres appear to be the best candidates for use in HBCs. Flax/MAPP and jute/MAPP HBCs exhibit similar actuating behaviours during the sorption phase (amplitude and speed), but different desorption characteristics due to the combined effect of the lumen size, fibre division and biochemical composition on the desorption mechanism. During hygromechanical fatigue tests the jute/MAPP HBCs exhibit a drastic improvement in durability compared to their flax counterparts. We also provide a demonstration on how HBCs can be used to trigger deployment of more complex structures based on Origami and Kirigami designs.

  13. SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Circulatory fibre-optic memory loop with a built-in service channel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pilipovich, V. A.; Esman, A. K.; Goncharenko, I. A.; Posed'ko, V. S.; Solonovich, I. F.

    1995-10-01

    A method for increasing the information capacity and enhancing the reliability of information storage in a dynamic fibre-optic memory is proposed. An additional built-in channel with counterpropagating circulation of signals is provided for this purpose. This additional channel can be used to transmit both information and service signals, such as address words, clock signals, correcting sequences, etc. The possibility of compensating the attenuation of an information signal by stimulated Raman scattering is considered.

  14. Mammalian bone palaeohistology: a survey and new data with emphasis on island forms

    PubMed Central

    Scheyer, Torsten M.; Veitschegger, Kristof; Forasiepi, Analia M.; Amson, Eli; Van der Geer, Alexandra A.E.; Van den Hoek Ostende, Lars W.; Hayashi, Shoji; Sánchez-Villagra, Marcelo R.

    2015-01-01

    The interest in mammalian palaeohistology has increased dramatically in the last two decades. Starting in 1849 via descriptive approaches, it has been demonstrated that bone tissue and vascularisation types correlate with several biological variables such as ontogenetic stage, growth rate, and ecology. Mammalian bone displays a large variety of bone tissues and vascularisation patterns reaching from lamellar or parallel-fibred to fibrolamellar or woven-fibred bone, depending on taxon and individual age. Here we systematically review the knowledge and methods on cynodont and mammalian bone microstructure as well as palaeohistology and discuss potential future research fields and techniques. We present new data on the bone microstructure of two extant marsupial species and of several extinct continental and island placental mammals. Extant marsupials display mainly parallel-fibred primary bone with radial and oblique but mainly longitudinal vascular canals. Three juvenile specimens of the dwarf island hippopotamid Hippopotamus minor from the Late Pleistocene of Cyprus show reticular to plexiform fibrolamellar bone. The island murid Mikrotia magna from the Late Miocene of Gargano, Italy displays parallel-fibred primary bone with reticular vascularisation and strong remodelling in the middle part of the cortex. Leithia sp., the dormouse from the Pleistocene of Sicily, is characterised by a primary bone cortex consisting of lamellar bone and a high amount of compact coarse cancellous bone. The bone cortex of the fossil continental lagomorph Prolagus oeningensis and three fossil species of insular Prolagus displays mainly parallel-fibred primary bone and reticular, radial as well as longitudinal vascularisation. Typical for large mammals, secondary bone in the giant rhinocerotoid Paraceratherium sp. from the Late Oligocene of Turkey is represented by dense Haversian bone. The skeletochronological features of Sinomegaceros yabei, a large-sized deer from the Pleistocene of Japan closely related to Megaloceros, indicate a high growth rate. These examples and the synthesis of existing data show the potential of bone microstructure to reveal essential information on life history evolution. The bone tissue and the skeletochronological data of the sampled island species suggest the presence of various modes of bone histological modification and mammalian life history evolution on islands to depend on factors of island evolution such as island size, distance from mainland, climate, phylogeny, and time of evolution. PMID:26528418

  15. Gas Sensor Based on Photonic Crystal Fibres in the 2ν3 and ν2 + 2ν3 Vibrational Bands of Methane

    PubMed Central

    Cubillas, Ana M.; Lazaro, Jose M.; Conde, Olga M.; Petrovich, Marco N.; Lopez-Higuera, Jose M.

    2009-01-01

    In this work, methane detection is performed on the 2ν3 and ν2 + 2ν3 absorption bands in the Near-Infrared (NIR) wavelength region using an all-fibre optical sensor. Hollow-core photonic bandgap fibres (HC-PBFs) are employed as gas cells due to their compactness, good integrability in optical systems and feasibility of long interaction lengths with gases. Sensing in the 2ν3 band of methane is demonstrated to achieve a detection limit one order of magnitude better than that of the ν2 + 2ν3 band. Finally, the filling time of a HC-PBF is demonstrated to be dependent on the fibre length and geometry. PMID:22454584

  16. Fibre optical spectroscopy and sensing innovation at innoFSPEC Potsdam

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haynes, Roger; Reich, Oliver; Rambold, William; Hass, Roland; Janssen, Katja

    2010-07-01

    In October 2009, an interdisciplinary centre for fibre spectroscopy and sensing, innoFSPEC Potsdam, has been established as joint initiative of the Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam (AIP) and the Physical Chemistry group of Potsdam University (UPPC), Germany. The centre focuses on fundamental research in the two fields of fibre-coupled multi-channel spectroscopy and optical fibre-based sensing. Thanks to its interdisciplinary approach, the complementary methodologies of astrophysics on the one hand, and physical chemistry on the other hand, are expected to spawn synergies that otherwise would not normally become available in more standard research programmes. innoFSPEC Potsdam targets future innovations for next generation astrophysical instrumentation, environmental analysis, manufacturing control and process analysis, medical diagnostics, non-invasive imaging spectroscopy, biopsy, genomics/proteomics, high throughput screening, and related applications.

  17. Filter-Based Dispersion-Managed Versatile Ultrafast Fibre Laser

    PubMed Central

    Peng, Junsong; Boscolo, Sonia

    2016-01-01

    We present the operation of an ultrafast passively mode-locked fibre laser, in which flexible control of the pulse formation mechanism is readily realised by an in-cavity programmable filter the dispersion and bandwidth of which can be software configured. We show that conventional soliton, dispersion-managed (DM) soliton (stretched-pulse) and dissipative soliton mode-locking regimes can be reliably targeted by changing the filter’s dispersion and bandwidth only, while no changes are made to the physical layout of the laser cavity. Numerical simulations are presented which confirm the different nonlinear pulse evolutions inside the laser cavity. The proposed technique holds great potential for achieving a high degree of control over the dynamics and output of ultrafast fibre lasers, in contrast to the traditional method to control the pulse formation mechanism in a DM fibre laser, which involves manual optimisation of the relative length of fibres with opposite-sign dispersion in the cavity. Our versatile ultrafast fibre laser will be attractive for applications requiring different pulse profiles such as in optical signal processing and optical communications. PMID:27183882

  18. Fibre Optic Sensors for Selected Wastewater Characteristics

    PubMed Central

    Chong, Su Sin; Abdul Aziz, A. R.; Harun, Sulaiman W.

    2013-01-01

    Demand for online and real-time measurements techniques to meet environmental regulation and treatment compliance are increasing. However the conventional techniques, which involve scheduled sampling and chemical analysis can be expensive and time consuming. Therefore cheaper and faster alternatives to monitor wastewater characteristics are required as alternatives to conventional methods. This paper reviews existing conventional techniques and optical and fibre optic sensors to determine selected wastewater characteristics which are colour, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). The review confirms that with appropriate configuration, calibration and fibre features the parameters can be determined with accuracy comparable to conventional method. With more research in this area, the potential for using FOS for online and real-time measurement of more wastewater parameters for various types of industrial effluent are promising. PMID:23881131

  19. Applications Of A Fibre Optic TV Holography System To The Study Of Large Automotive Structures.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, Jeremy C.; Buckberry, Clive H.

    1990-04-01

    Mono-mode fibre optic components, including directional couplers and piezo-electric phase control elements, have been used to construct a TV holography system. The instrument has advantages of simplicity and ruggedness of construction and, with a 40m fibre optic link to a 600m argon ion laser, has proved to be an ideal tool for studying the structural behaviour of automotive assemblies. The TV holography system is described and two examples presented of its use: analysis of the deformation of a petrol engine cylinder bore due to head bolt forces, and the vibration study of a vehicle bodyshell subjected to wheel induced inputs. Limitations in the application of the technique are identified and future work to address these shortcomings outlined.

  20. Get smart, go optical: example uses of optical fibre sensing technology for production optimisation and subsea asset monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staveley, Chris

    2014-06-01

    With the growth in deep-water oil and gas production, condition monitoring of high-value subsea assets to give early warning of developing problems is vital. Offshore operators can then transport and deploy spare parts before a failure occurs, so minimizing equipment down-time, and the significant costs associated with unscheduled maintenance. Results are presented from a suite of tests in which multiple elements of a subsea twin-screw pump and associated electric motor were monitored using a fibre optic sensing system based on fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) that simultaneously measured dynamic strain on the main rotor bearings, pressure and temperature of the lubricating oil, distributed temperature through the motor stator windings and vibration of the pump and motor housings.

  1. Simulation of complex phenomena in optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allington-Smith, Jeremy; Murray, Graham; Lemke, Ulrike

    2012-12-01

    Optical fibres are essential for many types of highly multiplexed and precision spectroscopy. The success of the new generation of multifibre instruments under construction to investigate fundamental problems in cosmology, such as the nature of dark energy, requires accurate modellization of the fibre system to achieve their signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) goals. Despite their simple construction, fibres exhibit unexpected behaviour including non-conservation of etendue (focal ratio degradation, FRD) and modal noise. Furthermore, new fibre geometries (non-circular or tapered) have become available to improve the scrambling properties that, together with modal noise, limit the achievable SNR in precision spectroscopy. These issues have often been addressed by extensive tests on candidate fibres and their terminations, but these are difficult and time-consuming. Modelling by ray tracing and wave analysis is possible with commercial software packages, but these do not address the more complex features, in particular FRD. We use a phase-tracking ray-tracing method to provide a practical description of FRD derived from our previous experimental work on circular fibres and apply it to non-standard fibres. This allows the relationship between scrambling and FRD to be quantified for the first time. We find that scrambling primarily affects the shape of the near-field pattern but has negligible effect on the barycentre. FRD helps to homogenize the near-field pattern but does not make it completely uniform. Fibres with polygonal cross-section improve scrambling without amplifying the FRD. Elliptical fibres, in conjunction with tapering, may offer an efficient means of image slicing to improve the product of resolving power and throughput, but the result is sensitive to the details of illumination. We also investigated the performance of fibres close to the limiting numerical aperture since this may affect the uniformity of the SNR for some prime focus fibre instrumentation.

  2. Microstructure, nutrient composition and antioxidant capacity of king palm flour: a new potential source of dietary fibre.

    PubMed

    de Simas, Karina N; Vieira, Leila do N; Podestá, Rossana; Vieira, Manoela A; Rockenbach, Ismael I; Petkowicz, Carmen L O; de Deus Medeiros, João; de Francisco, Alícia; Amante, Edna R; Amboni, Renata D M C

    2010-07-01

    The objective of this research was to evaluate the chemical composition, microstructure, and antioxidant capacity of king palm flour obtained from residues from organic king palm (Archontophoenix alexandrae) processing. King palm flour exhibited high levels of dietary fibre (70.85%) and total ash (3.27%); low contents of protein (3.51%) and lipid (0.91%). Iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium contents were 7.31, 517.03, 801.33 and 1041.95 mg/100g, respectively. The high concentration of glucose, xylose and arabinose suggests the presence of some polysaccharides, such as cellulose and hemicelluloses (xyloglucans and arabinoxylans). Methanol and aqueous extracts of king palm flour showed 1.27 and 0.95 mg/g (Gallic Acid Equivalents) of total polyphenols, respectively. Methanol extract yielded the best antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH()) and 2,2'-azino-di(3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulphonate) (ABTS()(+)) methods. The micrographs of leaf sheath showed the presence of druses, which are characterized as calcium oxalate deposition, contributing to the calcium content in king palm flour. The presence of primary and secondary cell walls lignified in leaf sheath contributed to high levels of dietary fibre detected in king palm flour. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A discrete mesoscopic particle model of the mechanics of a multi-constituent arterial wall.

    PubMed

    Witthoft, Alexandra; Yazdani, Alireza; Peng, Zhangli; Bellini, Chiara; Humphrey, Jay D; Karniadakis, George Em

    2016-01-01

    Blood vessels have unique properties that allow them to function together within a complex, self-regulating network. The contractile capacity of the wall combined with complex mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix enables vessels to adapt to changes in haemodynamic loading. Homogenized phenomenological and multi-constituent, structurally motivated continuum models have successfully captured these mechanical properties, but truly describing intricate microstructural details of the arterial wall may require a discrete framework. Such an approach would facilitate modelling interactions between or the separation of layers of the wall and would offer the advantage of seamless integration with discrete models of complex blood flow. We present a discrete particle model of a multi-constituent, nonlinearly elastic, anisotropic arterial wall, which we develop using the dissipative particle dynamics method. Mimicking basic features of the microstructure of the arterial wall, the model comprises an elastin matrix having isotropic nonlinear elastic properties plus anisotropic fibre reinforcement that represents the stiffer collagen fibres of the wall. These collagen fibres are distributed evenly and are oriented in four directions, symmetric to the vessel axis. Experimental results from biaxial mechanical tests of an artery are used for model validation, and a delamination test is simulated to demonstrate the new capabilities of the model. © 2016 The Author(s).

  4. Microstructural tissue-engineering in the rachis and barbs of bird feathers

    PubMed Central

    Lingham-Soliar, Theagarten

    2017-01-01

    Feathers do not have to be especially strong but they do need to be stiff and at the same time resilient and to have a high work of fracture. Syncitial barbule fibres are the highest size-class of continuous filaments in the cortex of the rachis of the feather. However, the rachis can be treated as a generalized cone of rapidly diminishing volume. This means that hundreds of syncitial barbule fibres of the rachis may have to be terminated before reaching the tip – creating potentially thousands of inherently fatal crack-like defects. Here I report a new microstructural architecture of the feather cortex in which most syncitial barbule fibres deviate to the right and left edges of the feather rachis from far within its borders and extend into the barbs, side branches of the rachis, as continuous filaments. This novel morphology adds significantly to knowledge of β-keratin self-assembly in the feather and helps solve the potential problem of fatal crack-like defects in the rachidial cortex. Furthermore, this new complexity, consistent with biology’s robust multi-functionality, solves two biomechanical problems at a stroke. Feather barbs deeply ‘rooted’ within the rachis are also able to better withstand the aerodynamic forces to which they are subjected. PMID:28345593

  5. Mechanisms of flexural flow folding of competent single-layers as evidenced by folded fibrous dolomite veins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torremans, Koen; Muchez, Philippe; Sintubin, Manuel

    2014-12-01

    Flexural flow is thought unlikely to occur in naturally deformed, competent isotropic single-layers. In this study we discuss a particular case of folded bedding-parallel fibrous dolomite veins in shale, in which the internal strain pattern and microstructural deformation features provide new insights in the mechanisms enabling flexural flow folding. Strain in the pre-folding veins is accommodated by two main mechanisms: intracrystalline deformation by bending and intergranular deformation with bookshelf rotation of dolomite fibres. The initially orthogonal dolomite fibres allowed a reconstruction of the strain distribution across the folded veins. This analysis shows that the planar mechanical anisotropy created by the fibres causes the veins to approximate flexural flow. During folding, synkinematic veins overgrow the pre-folding fibrous dolomite veins. Microstructures and dolomite growth morphologies reflect growth during progressive fold evolution, with evidence for flexural slip at fold lock-up. Homogeneous flattening, as evidenced by disjunctive axial-planar cleavage, subsequently modified these folds from class 1B to 1C folds. Our study shows that the internal vein fabric has a first-order influence on folding kinematics. Moreover, the fibrous dolomite veins show high viscosity contrasts with the shale matrix, essential in creating transient permeability for subsequent mineralising stages in the later synkinematic veins during progressive folding.

  6. OPTICAL FIBRES AND FIBREOPTIC SENSORS: Fibreoptic distributed temperature sensor with spectral filtration by directional fibre couplers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuznetsov, A. G.; Babin, Sergei A.; Shelemba, Ivan S.

    2009-11-01

    We demonstrate a Raman-based all-fibre temperature sensor utilising a pulsed erbium fibre laser. The sensor is made of a standard single-mode telecom fibre, SMF-28, and includes a number of directional couplers as band-pass filters. The temperature profile along a 7-km fibreoptic line is measured with an accuracy of 2oC and a spatial resolution of 10 m. In data processing, we take into account the difference in attenuation between the spectral components of the backscatter signal.

  7. Analysis of macular and nerve fiber layer thickness in multiple sclerosis patients according to severity level and optic neuritis episodes.

    PubMed

    Soler García, A; Padilla Parrado, F; Figueroa-Ortiz, L C; González Gómez, A; García-Ben, A; García-Ben, E; García-Campos, J M

    2016-01-01

    Quantitative assessment of macular and nerve fibre layer thickness in multiple sclerosis patients with regard to expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and presence or absence of previous optic neuritis episodes. We recruited 62 patients with multiple sclerosis (53 relapsing-remitting and 9 secondary progressive) and 12 disease-free controls. All patients underwent an ophthalmological examination, including quantitative analysis of the nerve fibre layer and macular thickness using optical coherence tomography. Patients were classified according to EDSS as A (lower than 1.5), B (between 1.5 and 3.5), and C (above 3.5). Mean nerve fibre layer thickness in control, A, B, and C groups was 103.35±12.62, 99.04±14.35, 93.59±15.41, and 87.36±18.75μm respectively, with statistically significant differences (P<.05). In patients with no history of optic neuritis, history of episodes in the last 3 to 6 months, or history longer than 6 months, mean nerve fibre layer thickness was 99.25±13.71, 93.92±13.30 and 80.07±15.91μm respectively; differences were significant (P<.05). Mean macular thickness in control, A, B, and C groups was 220.01±12.07, 217.78±20.02, 217.68±20.77, and 219.04±24.26μm respectively. Differences were not statistically significant. The mean retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in multiple sclerosis patients is related to the EDSS level. Patients with previous optic neuritis episodes have a thinner retinal nerve fibre layer than patients with no history of these episodes. Mean macular thickness is not correlated to EDSS level. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. EDITORIAL: The 19th International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors, OFS-19 The 19th International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors, OFS-19

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sampson, David D.; Jones, Julian D. C.; Tatam, Ralph P.

    2009-03-01

    OFS-19 was held in April 2008 in Perth, Australia, with Professor David Sampson (University of Western Australia) as General Chair assisted by Technical Programme Co-Chairs Professor Stephen Collins (Victoria University, Australia), Professor Kyunghwan Oh (Yonsei University, Korea) and Dr Ryozo Yamauchi (Fujikura Ltd, Japan). 'OFS-19' has once again affirmed the OFS series as the leading international conference for the optical fibre sensor community. Since its inception, in London in 1983, and under the leadership of an international steering committee independent of any learned society or professional institution, it has been held approximately every eighteen months. The venue nominally rotates from Europe, to the Americas, and thence to Asia and the Pacific. OFS-19 demonstrated the continuing vigour of the community, with some 240 papers presented, plus 8 tutorials; submissions and attendance were from 29 countries, with a little over half coming from the Asia-Pacific Region. In recent years, it has become a tradition to publish a post-conference special issue in Measurement Science and Technology, and these special issues offer a representative sample of the current status of the field. In the 25 years since OFS began, many of the early ideas and laboratory-based proof-of-principle experiments have successfully evolved into highly developed instrumentation systems and commercial products. One of the greatest success stories has been the optical fibre Bragg grating. Its exquisite intrinsic sensitivity to temperature and strain has led to an expanding niche in structural monitoring, especially in civil engineering. It has formed the 'beach-head' for penetration of optical fibre sensors into the oil and gas industry, initially in the harsh environment of down-hole monitoring. Latterly, it has paved the way for new applications of one of the earliest fibre optic sensors, the fibre hydrophone, which is now making its mark in sub-sea seismic surveying. Additionally, distributed fibre sensors, based on Raman or Brillouin scattering, are beginning to be deployed for remote and sub-sea infrastructure monitoring. Western Australia enjoys a booming oil and gas sector, and so OFS-19's Special Session entitled Oil & Gas: Current Practice-Future Opportunity was timely and locally relevant. An innovation at OFS-19 was turning the traditional first day's Workshop into a Tutorial Workshop delivered under the title Optical Fibre Sensors: Enabling the Next Generation, Stretching the Present Generation. International experts delivered a set of eight tutorials, covering both fundamentals and cutting-edge advances, to a large proportion of the conference delegates (the tutorials are available for download at obel.ee.uwa.edu.au/OFS-19). This special issue amply demonstrates in microcosm the breadth of the field of optical fibre sensors, with papers concerning applications in the oil and gas industry, in water and air quality, in civil engineering, as well as new sensors, sensor systems and methods for sensing. In addition, there are papers concerning sensor fabrication and calibration, as well as components of sensing systems. Several papers and topics are worthy of mention. The engineering of nanostructured materials promises much in many fields, including sensing in general. Thus, it is not surprising to find that nanotechnology is in evidence in the field of fibre sensing (Jarzebinska, Viegas). Microengineered mechanical structures also promise much for sensing and the exquisite 'head-of-a-pin' engineering of a cantilever on a fibre end-face is an elegant and versatile platform demonstrated here for refractometry (Alberts). The field has always provided fertile ground for new ideas, and this issue proves no exception. For example, three papers deal with new ways of solving the well-known issue of decoupling temperature from strain in fibre Bragg gratings (Guo, Nguyen, Yam). The ultimate endpoint for research in such a practical field is a useful deployed sensing system, and the oil and gas industry is the focus for four papers in this issue (Aref, Jackson, Mignani, Possetti). We hope that this special issue helps to further developments in the field of optical fibre sensors and would like to thank all the contributing authors and reviewers for making it possible. We also thank the staff at IOP Publishing for their support and in ensuring timely publication. OFS-20 will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, 5--9 October 2009 (www.ofs20.org), with a corresponding special issue planned.

  9. Ultrafast laser inscription of 3D components for spatial multiplexing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomson, Robert R.

    2016-02-01

    The thirst for bandwidth in telecommunications networks is becoming ever larger due to bandwidth hungry applications such as video-on-demand. To further increase the bandwidth capacity, engineers are now seeking to imprint information on the last remaining degree of freedom of the lightwave carrier - space. This has given rise to the field of Space Division Multiplexing (SDM). In essence, the concept of SDM simple; we aim to use the different spatial modes of an optical fibre as multiplexed data transmission channels. These modes could either be in the form of separate singlemodes in a multicore optical fibre, individual spatial modes of a multimode fibre, or indeed the individual spatial modes of a multimode multicore optical fibre. Regardless of the particular "flavour" of SDM in question, it is clear that significant interfacing issues exist between the optical fibres used in SDM and the conventional single-mode planar lightwave circuits that are essential to process the light (e.g. arrayed waveguide gratings and splitters), and efficient interconnect technologies will be required. One fabrication technology that has emerged as a possible route to solve these interconnection issues is ultrafast laser inscription (ULI), which relies on the use of focused ultrashort laser pulses to directly inscribe three-dimensional waveguide structures inside a bulk dielectric. In this paper, I describe some of the work that has been conducted around the world to apply the unique waveguide fabrication capabilities of ULI to the development of 3D photonic components for applications in SDM.

  10. Transparent photocatalytic coatings on the surface of the tips of medical fibre-optic bundles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evstropiev, S. K.; Volynkin, V. M.; Kiselev, V. M.; Dukelskii, K. V.; Evstropyev, K. S.; Demidov, V. V.; Gatchin, Yu. A.

    2017-12-01

    We report the results of the development of the sol - gel method for obtaining thin, transparent (in the visible part of the spectrum) TiO2/MgO coatings on the surfaces of the tips of medical fibre-optic bundles. Such coatings are capable of generating singlet oxygen under the action of UV radiation and are characterised by high antibacterial activity.

  11. Single-Mode Propagation in Optical Waveguides and Fibres: A Critical Review of its Treatment in Physics Textbooks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruddock, Ivan S.

    2009-01-01

    The derivation and description of the modes in optical waveguides and fibres are reviewed. The version frequently found in undergraduate textbooks is shown to be incorrect and misleading due to the assumption of an axial ray of light corresponding to the lowest order mode. It is pointed out that even the lowest order must still be represented in…

  12. 3D printed sensing patches with embedded polymer optical fibre Bragg gratings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zubel, Michal G.; Sugden, Kate; Saez-Rodriguez, D.; Nielsen, K.; Bang, O.

    2016-05-01

    The first demonstration of a polymer optical fibre Bragg grating (POFBG) embedded in a 3-D printed structure is reported. Its cyclic strain performance and temperature characteristics are examined and discussed. The sensing patch has a repeatable strain sensitivity of 0.38 pm/μepsilon. Its temperature behaviour is unstable, with temperature sensitivity values varying between 30-40 pm/°C.

  13. Numerical investigation of refractometric sensor elements based on side polished fibres using the Galerkin method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karakoleva, E. I.; Andreev, A. Tz; Zafirova, B. S.

    2006-12-01

    The Galerkin method was applied to solve the vector wave equation in order to determine the propagation constants and the transverse electric fields of the modes propagating along side polished single-mode and two-mode optical fibres. The effective refractive indices of the modes were calculated depending on the values of the residual cladding (minimum distance between a fibre core and a polished surface) and the superstrate refractive index. The influence of the fibre parameters and working wavelength on the refractometric sensitivity was estimated in the case when a side polished fibre with inscribed in-fibre Bragg grating is used as a sensor element.

  14. Investigation of focal ratio degradation in optical fibres for astronomical instrumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crause, Lisa; Bershady, Matthew; Buckley, David

    2008-07-01

    A differential method was used to investigate the focal ratio degradation (FRD) exhibited by, and throughput of, a selection of current-generation optical fibres. These fibres were tested to establish which would be best suited to feed the High Resolution Spectrograph being built for the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), as well as for future instruments on WIYN and SALT. The double re-imaging system of Bershady et al. (2004) was substantially modified to improve image quality and measurement efficiency, and to permit a direct FRD-measurement in the far-field. The re-imaging method compares the beam profile produced by light which passes through a fibre to that which does not. Broad and intermediate band-pass filters were used between 400-800 nm to test for wavelength dependence in the observed FRD over a wide range in beam-speeds. Our results continue to be at odds with a mico-bend model for FRD. We conclude that the new Polymicro FBP fibre is the most suitable product for broadband applications.

  15. Multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light

    PubMed Central

    Chandrasekharan, Harikumar K; Izdebski, Frauke; Gris-Sánchez, Itandehui; Krstajić, Nikola; Walker, Richard; Bridle, Helen L.; Dalgarno, Paul A.; MacPherson, William N.; Henderson, Robert K.; Birks, Tim A.; Thomson, Robert R.

    2017-01-01

    When an optical pulse propagates along an optical fibre, different wavelengths travel at different group velocities. As a result, wavelength information is converted into arrival-time information, a process known as wavelength-to-time mapping. This phenomenon is most cleanly observed using a single-mode fibre transmission line, where spatial mode dispersion is not present, but the use of such fibres restricts possible applications. Here we demonstrate that photonic lanterns based on tapered single-mode multicore fibres provide an efficient way to couple multimode light to an array of single-photon avalanche detectors, each of which has its own time-to-digital converter for time-correlated single-photon counting. Exploiting this capability, we demonstrate the multiplexed single-mode wavelength-to-time mapping of multimode light using a multicore fibre photonic lantern with 121 single-mode cores, coupled to 121 detectors on a 32 × 32 detector array. This work paves the way to efficient multimode wavelength-to-time mapping systems with the spectral performance of single-mode systems. PMID:28120822

  16. A double-fibre Fabry-Perot sensor based on modified fringe counting and direct phase demodulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, M.; Tong, B.; Arsad, N.; Guo, J. J.

    2013-09-01

    A modified double-fibre Fabry-Perot cavity is developed for determination of the fringe moving direction and higher sensitivity in applications of liquid level and displacement sensors. Two fibres are integrated into a silica ferrule where the ends of the two fibres in the ferrule serve as the front surfaces of the Fabry-Perot cavities, and a diaphragm, which is replaced by a moving mirror for measurement of displacement, serves as the rear surface for both cavities in liquid level sensing. Our design has no strict requirements for a specific phase difference between the two optical paths, just a constant difference resulting from the processing error between the two fibre end positions rather than a precise optical path difference of λ/8 to judge the pattern shift direction. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to determining the fringe moving direction, a displacement sensitivity of 3 µm and good linearity for both applications.

  17. Altered white matter tract property related to impaired focused attention, sustained attention, cognitive impulsivity and vigilance in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

    PubMed Central

    Chiang, Huey-Ling; Chen, Yu-Jen; Lo, Yu-Chun; Tseng, Wen-Yih Isaac; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen

    2015-01-01

    Background The neural substrate for clinical symptoms and neuropsychological performance in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has rarely been studied and has yielded inconsistent results. We sought to compare the microstructural property of fibre tracts associated with the prefrontal cortex and its association with ADHD symptoms and a wide range of attention performance in youth with ADHD and healthy controls. Methods We assessed youths with ADHD and age-, sex-, handedness-, coil- and intelligence-matched controls using the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CCPT) for attention performance and MRI. The 10 target tracts, including the bilateral frontostriatal tracts (caudate to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and cingulum bundle were reconstructed using diffusion spectrum imaging tractography. We computed generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) values to indicate tract-specific microstructural property. Results We included 50 youths with ADHD and 50 healthy controls in our study. Youths with ADHD had lower GFA in the left frontostriatal tracts, bilateral SLF and right cingulum bundle and performed worse in the CCPT than controls. Furthermore, alteration of the right SLF GFA was most significantly associated with the clinical symptom of inattention in youths with ADHD. Finally, youths with ADHD had differential association patterns of the 10 fibre tract GFA values with attention performance compared with controls. Limitations Ten of the youths with ADHD were treated with methylphenidate, which may have long-term effects on microstructural property. Conclusion Our study highlights the importance of the SLF, cingulum bundle and frontostriatal tracts for clinical symptoms and attention performance in youths with ADHD and demonstrates the involvement of different fibre tracts in attention performance in these individuals. PMID:25871496

  18. Altered white matter tract property related to impaired focused attention, sustained attention, cognitive impulsivity and vigilance in attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder.

    PubMed

    Chiang, Huey-Ling; Chen, Yu-Jen; Lo, Yu-Chun; Tseng, Wen-Yih I; Gau, Susan S

    2015-09-01

    The neural substrate for clinical symptoms and neuropsychological performance in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has rarely been studied and has yielded inconsistent results. We sought to compare the microstructural property of fibre tracts associated with the prefrontal cortex and its association with ADHD symptoms and a wide range of attention performance in youth with ADHD and healthy controls. We assessed youths with ADHD and age-, sex-, handedness-, coil- and intelligence-matched controls using the Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CCPT) for attention performance and MRI. The 10 target tracts, including the bilateral frontostriatal tracts (caudate to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and cingulum bundle were reconstructed using diffusion spectrum imaging tractography. We computed generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) values to indicate tract-specific microstructural property. We included 50 youths with ADHD and 50 healthy controls in our study. Youths with ADHD had lower GFA in the left frontostriatal tracts, bilateral SLF and right cingulum bundle and performed worse in the CCPT than controls. Furthermore, alteration of the right SLF GFA was most significantly associated with the clinical symptom of inattention in youths with ADHD. Finally, youths with ADHD had differential association patterns of the 10 fibre tract GFA values with attention performance compared with controls. Ten of the youths with ADHD were treated with methylphenidate, which may have long-term effects on microstructural property. Our study highlights the importance of the SLF, cingulum bundle and frontostriatal tracts for clinical symptoms and attention performance in youths with ADHD and demonstrates the involvement of different fibre tracts in attention performance in these individuals.

  19. Role of laser beam radiance in different ceramic processing: A two wavelengths comparison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukla, Pratik; Lawrence, Jonathan

    2013-12-01

    Effects of laser beam radiance (brightness) of the fibre and the Nd3+:YAG laser were investigated during surface engineering of the ZrO2 and Si3N4 advanced ceramics with respect to dimensional size and microstructure of both of the advanced ceramics. Using identical process parameters, the effects of radiance of both the Nd3+:YAG laser and a fibre laser were compared thereon the two selected advanced ceramics. Both the lasers showed differences in each of the ceramics employed in relation to the microstructure and grain size as well as the dimensional size of the laser engineered tracks-notwithstanding the use of identical process parameters namely spot size; laser power; traverse speed; Gaussian beam modes; gas flow rate and gas composition as well the wavelengths. From this it was evident that the difference in the laser beam radiance between the two lasers would have had much to do with this effect. The high radiance fibre laser produced larger power per unit area in steradian when compared to the lower radiance of the Nd3+:YAG laser. This characteristically produced larger surface tracks through higher interaction temperature at the laser-ceramic interface. This in turn generated bigger melt-zones and different cooling rates which then led to the change in the microstructure of both the Si3N4 and ZrO2 advance ceramics. Owing to this, it was indicative that lasers with high radiance would result in much cheaper and cost effective laser assisted surface engineering processes, since lower laser power, faster traverse speeds, larger spot sizes could be used in comparison to lasers with lower radiance which require much slower traverse speed, higher power levels and finer spot sizes to induce the same effect thereon materials such as the advanced ceramics.

  20. Increasing the information rates of optical communications via coded modulation: a study of transceiver performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maher, Robert; Alvarado, Alex; Lavery, Domaniç; Bayvel, Polina

    2016-02-01

    Optical fibre underpins the global communications infrastructure and has experienced an astonishing evolution over the past four decades, with current commercial systems transmitting data rates in excess of 10 Tb/s over a single fibre core. The continuation of this dramatic growth in throughput has become constrained due to a power dependent nonlinear distortion arising from a phenomenon known as the Kerr effect. The mitigation of fibre nonlinearities is an area of intense research. However, even in the absence of nonlinear distortion, the practical limit on the transmission throughput of a single fibre core is dominated by the finite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) afforded by current state-of-the-art coherent optical transceivers. Therefore, the key to maximising the number of information bits that can be reliably transmitted over a fibre channel hinges on the simultaneous optimisation of the modulation format and code rate, based on the SNR achieved at the receiver. In this work, we use an information theoretic approach based on the mutual information and the generalised mutual information to characterise a state-of-the-art dual polarisation m-ary quadrature amplitude modulation transceiver and subsequently apply this methodology to a 15-carrier super-channel to achieve the highest throughput (1.125 Tb/s) ever recorded using a single coherent receiver.

  1. Opto-mechanical lab-on-fibre seismic sensors detected the Norcia earthquake.

    PubMed

    Pisco, Marco; Bruno, Francesco Antonio; Galluzzo, Danilo; Nardone, Lucia; Gruca, Grzegorz; Rijnveld, Niek; Bianco, Francesca; Cutolo, Antonello; Cusano, Andrea

    2018-04-27

    We have designed and developed lab-on-fibre seismic sensors containing a micro-opto-mechanical cavity on the fibre tip. The mechanical cavity is designed as a double cantilever suspended on the fibre end facet and connected to a proof mass to tune its response. Ground acceleration leads to displacement of the cavity length, which in turn can be remotely detected using an interferometric interrogation technique. After the sensors characterization, an experimental validation was conducted at the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), which is responsible for seismic surveillance over the Italian country. The fabricated sensors have been continuously used for long periods to demonstrate their effectiveness as seismic accelerometer sensors. During the tests, fibre optic seismic accelerometers clearly detected the seismic sequence that culminated in the severe Mw6.5 Norcia earthquake that struck central Italy on October 30, 2016. The seismic data provided by the optical sensors were analysed by specialists at the INGV. The wave traces were compared with state-of-the-art traditional sensors typically incorporated into the INGV seismic networks. The comparison verifies the high fidelity of the optical sensors in seismic wave detection, indicating their suitability for a novel class of seismic sensors to be employed in practical scenarios.

  2. Detection of premature browning in ground beef with an integrated optical-fibre based sensor using reflection spectroscopy and fibre Bragg grating technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Farrell, M.; Sheridan, C.; Lewis, E.; Zhao, W. Z.; Sun, T.; Grattan, K. T. V.; Kerry, J.; Jackman, N.

    2007-07-01

    This paper reports on an optical fibre based sensor system to detect the occurrence of premature browning in ground beef. Premature browning (PMB) occurs when, at a temperature below the pasteurisation temperature of 71°C, there are no traces of pink meat left in the patty. PMB is more frequent if poorer quality beef or beef that has been stored under imperfect conditions. The experimental work pertaining to this paper involved cooking fresh meat and meat that has been stored in a freezer for, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months and recording the reflected spectra and temperature at the core of the product, during the cooking process, in order to develop a classifier based on the spectral response and using a Self-Organising Map (SOM) to classify the patties into one of four categories, based on their colour. Further tests were also carried out on developing an all-optical fibre sensor for measuring both the temperature and colour in a single integrated probe. The integrated probe contains two different sensor concepts, one to monitor temperature, based on Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) technology and a second for meat quality, based on reflection spectroscopy in the visible wavelength range.

  3. In the trail of a new bio-sensor for measuring strain in bone: osteoblastic biocompatibility.

    PubMed

    Carvalho, Lídia; Alberto, Nélia J; Gomes, Pedro S; Nogueira, Rogério N; Pinto, João L; Fernandes, Maria H

    2011-06-15

    Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) is an optical sensor recorded within the core of a standard optical fibre, which responds faithfully to strain and temperature. FBG sensors are a promising alternative to other sensing methodologies to assess bone mechanics in vivo. However, response of bone cells/bone tissue to FBGs and its sensing capability in this environment have not been recorded yet. The present study addressed these issues in long-term human osteoblastic cell cultures. Results showed that osteoblastic cells were able to adhere and proliferate over the fibre and, also, the protective polymer coating. RT-PCR analysis showed the expression of Col I, ALP, BMP-2, M-CSF, RANKL and OPG. In addition, cultures presented high ALP activity and the formation of a calcium phosphate mineralized extracellular matrix. Cell behavior over the fibre without and with the coating polymer was similar to that found in cultures grown in standard tissue culture plates (control). In addition to the excellent osteoblastic cytocompatibility, FBGs maintained the physical integrity and functionality, as its sensing capability was not affected through the culture period. Results suggest the possibility of in vivo osseointegration of the optical fibre/FBGs anticipating a variety of applications in bone mechanical dynamics. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Increasing the information rates of optical communications via coded modulation: a study of transceiver performance

    PubMed Central

    Maher, Robert; Alvarado, Alex; Lavery, Domaniç; Bayvel, Polina

    2016-01-01

    Optical fibre underpins the global communications infrastructure and has experienced an astonishing evolution over the past four decades, with current commercial systems transmitting data rates in excess of 10 Tb/s over a single fibre core. The continuation of this dramatic growth in throughput has become constrained due to a power dependent nonlinear distortion arising from a phenomenon known as the Kerr effect. The mitigation of fibre nonlinearities is an area of intense research. However, even in the absence of nonlinear distortion, the practical limit on the transmission throughput of a single fibre core is dominated by the finite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) afforded by current state-of-the-art coherent optical transceivers. Therefore, the key to maximising the number of information bits that can be reliably transmitted over a fibre channel hinges on the simultaneous optimisation of the modulation format and code rate, based on the SNR achieved at the receiver. In this work, we use an information theoretic approach based on the mutual information and the generalised mutual information to characterise a state-of-the-art dual polarisation m-ary quadrature amplitude modulation transceiver and subsequently apply this methodology to a 15-carrier super-channel to achieve the highest throughput (1.125 Tb/s) ever recorded using a single coherent receiver. PMID:26864633

  5. Static and dynamic pile testing of reinforced concrete piles with structure integrated fibre optic strain sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schilder, Constanze; Kohlhoff, Harald; Hofmann, Detlef; Basedau, Frank; Habel, Wolfgang R.; Baeßler, Matthias; Niederleithinger, Ernst; Georgi, Steven; Herten, Markus

    2013-05-01

    Static and dynamic pile tests are carried out to determine the load bearing capacity and the quality of reinforced concrete piles. As part of a round robin test to evaluate dynamic load tests, structure integrated fibre optic strain sensors were used to receive more detailed information about the strains along the pile length compared to conventional measurements at the pile head. This paper shows the instrumentation of the pile with extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometers sensors and fibre Bragg gratings sensors together with the results of the conducted static load test as well as the dynamic load tests and pile integrity tests.

  6. Influence of fibre distribution and grain size on the mechanical behaviour of friction stir processed Mg–C composites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mertens, A., E-mail: anne.mertens@ulg.ac.be; Simar, A.; Adrien, J.

    Short C fibres–Mg matrix composites have been produced by friction stir processing sandwiches made of a layer of C fabric stacked between two sheets of Mg alloy AZ31B or AZ91D. This novel processing technique can allow the easy production of large-scale metal matrix composites. The paper investigates the microstructure of FSPed C fibre–Mg composites in relation with the fragmentation of the C fibres during FSP and their influence on the tensile properties. 3D X-ray tomography reveals that the fibres orient like onion rings and are more or less fragmented depending on the local shear stress during the process. The fibremore » volume fraction can be increased from 2.3% to 7.1% by reducing the nugget volume, i.e. by using a higher advancing speed in AZ31B alloy or a stronger matrix alloy, like AZ91D alloy. A higher fibre volume fraction leads to a smaller grain size which brings about an increase of the composite yield strength by 15 to 25%. However, a higher fibre volume fraction also leads to a lower fracture strain. Fracture surface observations reveal that damage occurs by fibre/matrix decohesion along fibres oriented perpendicularly to the loading direction. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • C–Mg MMCs were produced by FSP sandwiches made of a C fabric between Mg sheets. • Fibre fragmentation and erosion is larger when the temperature reached during FSP is lower. • A lower advancing speed brings a lower fibre volume fraction and a lower grain size. • X-ray tomography reveals that fibres orient along the FSP material flow. • The fibres and grain size reduction increase the yield strength by 15 to 25%.« less

  7. Optical fabrication of large area photonic microstructures by spliced lens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Wentao; Song, Meng; Zhang, Xuehua; Yin, Li; Li, Hong; Li, Lin

    2018-05-01

    We experimentally demonstrate a convenient approach to fabricate large area photorefractive photonic microstructures by a spliced lens device. Large area two-dimensional photonic microstructures are optically induced inside an iron-doped lithium niobate crystal. The experimental setups of our method are relatively compact and stable without complex alignment devices. It can be operated in almost any optical laboratories. We analyze the induced triangular lattice microstructures by plane wave guiding, far-field diffraction pattern imaging and Brillouin-zone spectroscopy. By designing the spliced lens appropriately, the method can be easily extended to fabricate other complex large area photonic microstructures, such as quasicrystal microstructures. Induced photonic microstructures can be fixed or erased and re-recorded in the photorefractive crystal.

  8. Generating a stationary infinite range tractor force via a multimode optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebongue, C. A.; Holzmann, D.; Ostermann, S.; Ritsch, H.

    2017-06-01

    Optical fibres confine and guide light almost unattenuated and thus convey light forces to polarizable nano-particles over very long distances. Radiation pressure forces arise from scattering of guided photons into free space while gradient forces are based on coherent scattering between different fibre modes or propagation directions. Interestingly, even scattering between co-propagating modes induces longitudinal forces as the transverse confinement of the light modes creates mode dependent longitudinal wave-vectors and photon momenta. We generalize a proven scattering matrix based approach to calculate single as well as inter-particle forces to include several forward and backward propagating modes. We show that an injection of the higher order mode only in a two mode fibre will induce a stationary tractor force against the injection direction, when the mode coupling to the lower order mode dominates against backscattering and free space losses. Generically this arises for non-absorbing particles at the centre of a waveguide. The model also gives improved predictions for inter-particle forces in evanescent nanofibre fields as experimentally observed recently. Surprisingly strong tractor forces can also act on whole optically bound arrays.

  9. Multi-parameter measurements using optical fibre long period gratings for indoor air quality monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hromadka, J.; Korposh, S.; Partridge, M. C.; James, S.; Davis, F.; Crump, D.; Lee, S.-W.; Tatam, R. P.

    2017-04-01

    An array of three long period gratings (LPGs) fabricated in a single optical fibre and multiplexed in the wavelength domain was used to measure simultaneously temperature, relative humidity (RH) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each LPG sensor was designed to optimize its response to a desired measurand. The LPGs were fabricated with periods such that they operated at or near the phase matching turning point. The sensors were calibrated in the laboratory and the simultaneous measurement of the key indoor air quality parameters was undertaken in laboratory and office environments. It was demonstrated successfully that the data produced by the LPG sensor array under real conditions was in a good agreement with that produced by commercially available sensors. Further, the potential application of fibre optic sensors for VOCs detection at high levels has been demonstrated.

  10. Simultaneous optical fibre strain and temperature measurements in a hybrid distributed sensor based on Rayleigh and Raman scatteringYjdjvj

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gorshkov, B. G.; Taranov, M. A.

    2018-02-01

    A new type of sensor for simultaneous measurements of strain and temperature changes in an optical fibre is proposed. Its operation builds on the use of Raman optical time-domain reflectometry and wavelength-tunable quasi-monochromatic Rayleigh reflectometry implemented using a microelectromechanical filter (MEMS). The sensor configuration includes independent Raman and Rayleigh scattering channels. Our experiments have demonstrated that, at a sensing fibre length near 8 km, spatial resolution of 1-2 m, and measurement time of 10 min, the noise level (standard deviation) is 1.1 μɛ (μm m-1) for the measured tension change (at small temperature deviations) and 0.04 °C for the measured temperature change, which allows for effective sensing of mechanical and temperature influences with improved accuracy.

  11. SPIP: A computer program implementing the Interaction Picture method for simulation of light-wave propagation in optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balac, Stéphane; Fernandez, Arnaud

    2016-02-01

    The computer program SPIP is aimed at solving the Generalized Non-Linear Schrödinger equation (GNLSE), involved in optics e.g. in the modelling of light-wave propagation in an optical fibre, by the Interaction Picture method, a new efficient alternative method to the Symmetric Split-Step method. In the SPIP program a dedicated costless adaptive step-size control based on the use of a 4th order embedded Runge-Kutta method is implemented in order to speed up the resolution.

  12. Microstructural record of cataclastic and dissolution-precipitation processes from shallow crustal carbonate strike-slip faults, Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bauer, Helene; Grasemann, Bernhard; Decker, Kurt

    2015-04-01

    The concept of coseismic slip and aseismic creep deformation along faults is supported by the variability of natural fault rocks and their microstructures. Faults in carbonate rocks are characterized by very narrow principal slip zones (cm to mm wide) containing (ultra)cataclastic fault rocks that accommodate most of the fault displacement. Fluidization of ultracataclastic sub layers and thermal decomposition of calcite due to frictional heating have been proposed as possible indicators for seismic slip. Dissolution-precipitation (DP) processes are possible mechanism of aseismic sliding, resulting in spaced cleavage solution planes and associated veins, indicating diffusive mass transfer and precipitation in pervasive vein networks. We investigated exhumed, sinistral strike-slip faults in carbonates of the Northern Calcareous Alps. The study presents microstructural investigations of natural carbonate fault rocks that formed by cataclastic and dissolution-precipitation related deformation processes. Faults belong to the eastern segment of the Salzachtal-Ennstal-Mariazell-Puchberg (SEMP) fault system that was formed during eastward lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps in Oligocene to Lower Miocene. The investigated faults accommodated sinistral slip between several tens and few hundreds of meters. Microstructural analysis of fault rocks was done with scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Deformation experiments of natural fault rocks are planned to be conducted at the Sapienza University of Roma and should be available at the meeting. The investigated fault rocks give record of alternating cataclastic deformation and DP creep. DP fault rocks reveal various stages of evolution including early stylolites, pervasive pressure solution seams and cleavage, localized shear zones with syn-kinematic calcite fibre growth and mixed DP/cataclastic microstructures, involving pseudo sc- and scc'-fabrics. Pressure solution seams host fine grained kaolinit, chlorite and illite while the protolith shows only weak evidence of detrital clay content. Our studies suggest that velocity weakening and strengthening mechanisms alternated during the accumulation of displacement along the SEMP fault zone.

  13. Neural organisation in the first optic ganglion of the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis.

    PubMed

    Greiner, Birgit; Ribi, Willi A; Wcislo, William T; Warrant, Eric J

    2004-11-01

    Each neural unit (cartridge) in the first optic ganglion (lamina) of the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis contains nine receptor cell axons (6 short and 3 long visual fibres), and four different types of first-order interneurons, also known as L-fibres (L1 to L4) or lamina monopolar cells. The short visual fibres terminate within the lamina as three different types (svf 1, 2, 3). The three long visual fibres pass through the lamina without forming characteristic branching patterns and terminate in the second optic ganglion, the medulla. The lateral branching pattern of svf 2 into adjacent cartridges is unique for hymenopterans. In addition, all four types of L-fibres show dorso-ventrally arranged, wide, lateral branching in this nocturnal bee. This is in contrast to the diurnal bees Apis mellifera and Lasioglossum leucozonium, where only two out of four L-fibre types (L2 and L4) reach neighbouring cartridges. In M. genalis, L1 forms two sub-types, viz. L1-a and L1-b; L1-b in particular has the potential to contact several neighbouring cartridges. L2 and L4 in the nocturnal bee are similar to L2 and L4 in the diurnal bees but have dorso-ventral arborisations that are twice as wide. A new type of laterally spreading L3 has been discovered in the nocturnal bee. The extensive neural branching pattern of L-fibres in M. genalis indicates a potential role for these neurons in the spatial summation of photons from large groups of ommatidia. This specific adaptation in the nocturnal bee could significantly improve reliability of vision in dim light.

  14. PH Sensor Using A LED Source In A Fibre Optic Device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grattan, K. T.; Mouaziz, Z.; Selli, R. K.

    1987-10-01

    Fibre optic pH sensors, for use in acid-base titrations, have been developed which use two wavelengths, in one case from two LEDs and in the other an internally generated reference replaces one of the LEDs, to sense the change in absorption of an indicator dye and provide a reference channel. A description of the construction and calibrated response of these inexpensive sensing devices is given.

  15. Durability of waste glass flax fiber reinforced mortar

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aly, M.; Hashmi, M. S. J.; Olabi, A. G.

    2011-01-17

    The main concern for natural fibre reinforced mortar composites is the durability of the fibres in the alkaline environment of cement. The composites may undergo a reduction in strength as a result of weakening of the fibres by a combination of alkali attack and fibre mineralisation. In order to enhance the durability of natural fiber reinforced cement composites several approaches have been studied including fiber impregnation, sealing of the matrix pore system and reduction of matrix alkalinity through the use of pozzolanic materials. In this study waste glass powder was used as a pozzolanic additive to improve the durability performancemore » of flax fiber reinforced mortar (FFRM). The durability of the FFRM was studied by determining the effects of ageing in water and exposure to wetting and drying cycles; on the microstructures and flexural behaviour of the composites. The mortar tests demonstrated that the waste glass powder has significant effect on improving the durability of FFRM.« less

  16. Laser radiation frequency doubling in a single-crystal fibre based on a stoichiometric LiNbO3 crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kashin, V. V.; Nikolaev, D. A.; Rusanov, S. Ya; Tsvetkov, V. B.

    2015-01-01

    We demonstrate the employment of single-crystal optical fibres based on lithium niobate for doubling the laser radiation frequency. The measured characteristics of the fibre confirm its high quality and spatial homogeneity. Parameters of the frequency doublers for neodymium laser radiation (λ = 1 mm) based on fibre and bulk single crystals are compared. Single crystals are grown by the method of laser-heated pedestal growing with heating by radiation of a CO2 laser (LHPG-method).

  17. Effect of Nano-CuO on Engineering and Microstructure Properties of Fibre-Reinforced Mortars Incorporating Metakaolin: Experimental and Numerical Studies

    PubMed Central

    Ghanei, Amir; Jafari, Faezeh; Mehrinejad Khotbehsara, Mojdeh; Mohseni, Ehsan; Cui, Hongzhi

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the effects of nano-CuO (NC) on engineering properties of fibre-reinforced mortars incorporating metakaolin (MK) were investigated. The effects of polypropylene fibre (PP) were also examined. A total of twenty-six mixtures were prepared. The experimental results were compared with numerical results obtained by adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and Primal Estimated sub-GrAdient Solver for SVM (Pegasos) algorithm. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was also employed to investigate the microstructure of the cement matrix. The mechanical test results showed that both compressive and flexural strengths of cement mortars decreased with the increase of MK content, however the strength values increased significantly with increasing NC content in the mixture. The water absorption of samples decreased remarkably with increasing NC particles in the mixture. When PP fibres were added, the strengths of cement mortars were further enhanced accompanied with lower water absorption values. The addition of 2 wt % and 3 wt % nanoparticles in cement mortar led to a positive contribution to strength and resistance to water absorption. Mixture of PP-MK10NC3 indicated the best results for both compressive and flexural strengths at 28 and 90 days. SEM images illustrated that the morphology of cement matrix became more porous with increasing MK content, but the porosity reduced with the inclusion of NC. In addition, it is evident from the SEM images that more cement hydration products adhered onto the surface of fibres, which would improve the fibre–matrix interface. The numerical results obtained by ANFIS and Pegasos were close to the experimental results. The value of R2 obtained for each data set (validate, test and train) was higher than 0.90 and the values of mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and the relative root mean squared error (PRMSE) were near zero. The ANFIS and Pegasos models can be used to predict the mechanical properties and water absorptions of fibre-reinforced mortars with MK and NC. PMID:29065559

  18. The effects of ageing on mouse muscle microstructure: a comparative study of time-dependent diffusion MRI and histological assessment.

    PubMed

    Porcari, Paola; Hall, Matt G; Clark, Chris A; Greally, Elizabeth; Straub, Volker; Blamire, Andrew M

    2018-03-01

    The investigation of age-related changes in muscle microstructure between developmental and healthy adult mice may help us to understand the clinical features of early-onset muscle diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We investigated the evolution of mouse hind-limb muscle microstructure using diffusion imaging of in vivo and in vitro samples from both actively growing and mature mice. Mean apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles were determined as a function of diffusion time (Δ), age (7.5, 22 and 44 weeks) and diffusion gradient direction, applied parallel or transverse to the principal axis of the muscle fibres. We investigated a wide range of diffusion times with the goal of probing a range of diffusion lengths characteristic of muscle microstructure. We compared the diffusion time-dependent ADC of hind-limb muscles with histology. ADC was found to vary as a function of diffusion time in muscles at all stages of maturation. Muscle water diffusivity was higher in younger (7.5 weeks) than in adult (22 and 44 weeks) mice, whereas no differences were observed between the older ages. In vitro data showed the same diffusivity pattern as in vivo data. The highlighted differences in diffusion properties between young and mature muscles suggested differences in underlying muscle microstructure, which were confirmed by histological assessment. In particular, although diffusion was more restricted in older muscle, muscle fibre size increased significantly from young to adult age. The extracellular space decreased with age by only ~1%. This suggests that the observed diffusivity differences between young and adult muscles may be caused by increased membrane permeability in younger muscle associated with properties of the sarcolemma. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Properties of bright solitons in averaged and unaveraged models for SDG fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Ajit; Kumar, Atul

    1996-04-01

    Using the slowly varying envelope approximation and averaging over the fibre cross-section the evolution equation for optical pulses in semiconductor-doped glass (SDG) fibres is derived from the nonlinear wave equation. Bright soliton solutions of this equation are obtained numerically and their properties are studied and compared with those of the bright solitons in the unaveraged model.

  20. Health monitoring of carbon cantilever using femtosecond laser inscribed FBG array in gradient-index CYTOP polymer fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Theodosiou, Antreas; Kalli, Kyriacos; Komodromos, Michael

    2017-04-01

    We report on the femtosecond laser inscription of a fibre Bragg grating array in multimode, gradient-index, CYTOP polymer optical fibre and its demonstration as a quasi-distributed sensor for cantilever health monitoring measurements. We exploit the key advantage of polymer optical fibres, having a significantly lower Young's modulus compared with silica fibres, for vibration measurements. We also modify the typical multi-mode Bragg grating spectrum through control of the femtosecond laser inscription process, thereby producing gratings having single peak wavelength spectra. The sensor array is used to recover the time-dependent, wavelength response from each Bragg grating sensor and extract the mode shape of the beam. The mode shapes of the beam were used to observe "damage" introduced to the cantilever by adding masses to its surface; adjusting the level of damage by using different weights and placing them at different point across the beam. We show that health monitoring measurements are feasible with polymer based fibre Bragg gratings. The accurate and rapid detection of damage points on structural beams and the damage level is an important parameter for improved maintenance and servicing of beams under load and for the prevention of long-term damage.

  1. Extending of flat normal dispersion profile in all-solid soft glass nonlinear photonic crystal fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siwicki, Bartłomiej; Kasztelanic, Rafał; Klimczak, Mariusz; Cimek, Jarosław; Pysz, Dariusz; Stępień, Ryszard; Buczyński, Ryszard

    2016-06-01

    The bandwidth of coherent supercontinuum generated in optical fibres is strongly determined by the all-normal dispersion characteristic of the fibre. We investigate all-normal dispersion limitations in all-solid oxide-based soft glass photonic crystal fibres with various relative inclusion sizes and lattice constants. The influence of material dispersion on fibre dispersion characteristics for a selected pair of glasses is also examined. A relation between the material dispersion of the glasses and the fibre dispersion has been described. We determined the parameters which limit the maximum range of flattened all-normal dispersion profile achievable for the considered pair of heavy-metal-oxide soft glasses.

  2. Solar system for exploitation of the whole collected energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ciamberlini, C.; Francini, F.; Longobardi, G.; Piattelli, M.; Sansoni, P.

    2003-09-01

    An innovative architecture for the exploitation of the whole collected solar energy is described. A sun pointing optical concentrator focuses the received energy, containing the part of the required solar spectrum, in a low loss optical fibre transmission line. The optical panel is small in size and able to follow the sun in order to collect the maximum of its energy. The support is flat, 5 mm thick and includes four optical concentrators. The efficiency of the optical system depends on the optical configuration and on the material utilised for the optical components. Single commercial connector to the fixed fibres connects the fibre optics' four free ends. The energy is therefore properly transported to any user's end with an easy installation. The system was experimented for lightening, during the day, dissipated in a dark load in order to produce heat in some equipment and for photovoltaic applications. The total efficiency of the system was between 68% and 72%. Once the solar energy reaches the end of the transmission line, it can be addressed to the required utilisation by means of an optical switch, which redirects the sunlight towards the desired applicator. This procedure allows utilising the 100% of the sun-collected energy. Since the size of the panel was small, it can be placed, on the roof, on the garden, on the window-sill, on the field and on all sides exposed to sunlight.

  3. The thermoluminescence response of doped SiO2 optical fibres subjected to photon and electron irradiations.

    PubMed

    Hashim, S; Al-Ahbabi, S; Bradley, D A; Webb, M; Jeynes, C; Ramli, A T; Wagiran, H

    2009-03-01

    Modern linear accelerators, the predominant teletherapy machine in major radiotherapy centres worldwide, provide multiple electron and photon beam energies. To obtain reasonable treatment times, intense electron beam currents are achievable. In association with this capability, there is considerable demand to validate patient dose using systems of dosimetry offering characteristics that include good spatial resolution, high precision and accuracy. Present interest is in the thermoluminescence response and dosimetric utility of commercially available doped optical fibres. The important parameter for obtaining the highest TL yield during this study is to know the dopant concentration of the SiO2 fibre because during the production of the optical fibres, the dopants tend to diffuse. To achieve this aim, proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), which has no depth resolution but can unambiguously identify elements and analyse for trace elements with detection limits approaching microg/g, was used. For Al-doped fibres, the dopant concentration in the range 0.98-2.93 mol% have been estimated, with equivalent range for Ge-doped fibres being 0.53-0.71 mol%. In making central-axis irradiation measurements a solid water phantom was used. For 6-MV photons and electron energies in the range 6, 9 and 12 MeV, a source to surface distance of 100 cm was used, with a dose rate of 400 cGy/min for photons and electrons. The TL measurements show a linear dose-response over the delivered range of absorbed dose from 1 to 4 Gy. Fading was found to be minimal, less than 10% over five days subsequent to irradiation. The minimum detectable dose for 6-MV photons was found to be 4, 30 and 900 microGy for TLD-100 chips, Ge- and Al-doped fibres, respectively. For 6-, 9- and 12-MeV electron energies, the minimum detectable dose were in the range 3-5, 30-50 and 800-1400 microGy for TLD-100 chip, Ge-doped and Al-doped fibres, respectively.

  4. Biomimetic poly(lactide) based fibrous scaffolds for ligament tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Surrao, Denver C; Waldman, Stephen D; Amsden, Brian G

    2012-11-01

    The aim of this study was to fabricate a fibrous scaffold that closely resembled the micro-structural architecture and mechanical properties of collagen fibres found in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). To achieve this aim, fibrous scaffolds were made by electrospinning L-lactide based polymers. L-Lactide was chosen primarily due to its demonstrated biocompatibility, biodegradability and high modulus. The electrospun fibres were collected in tension on a rotating wire mandrel. Upon treating these fibres in a heated aqueous environment, they possessed a crimp-like pattern having a wavelength and amplitude similar to that of native ACL collagen. Of the polymer fibre scaffolds studied, those made from poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) PLDLA exhibited the highest modulus and were also the most resilient to in vitro hydrolytic degradation, undergoing a slight decrease in modulus compared to the other polymeric fibres over a 6 month period. Bovine fibroblasts seeded on the wavy, crimp-like PLDLA fibres attached, proliferated and deposited extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules on the surface of the fibrous scaffold. In addition, the deposited ECM exhibited bundle formation that resembled the fascicles found in native ACL. These findings demonstrate the importance of replicating the geometric microenvironment in developing effective tissue engineering scaffolds. Copyright © 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. SpaceFibre Discussion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rakow, Glenn

    2007-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation discusses the future use of SpaceFibre, a high speed optical extension to the SpaceWire, for NASA and DOD missions. NASA, and US industries would like to work with the European developers currently working on this standard.

  6. A VLBI experiment using a remote atomic clock via a coherent fibre link

    PubMed Central

    Clivati, Cecilia; Ambrosini, Roberto; Artz, Thomas; Bertarini, Alessandra; Bortolotti, Claudio; Frittelli, Matteo; Levi, Filippo; Mura, Alberto; Maccaferri, Giuseppe; Nanni, Mauro; Negusini, Monia; Perini, Federico; Roma, Mauro; Stagni, Matteo; Zucco, Massimo; Calonico, Davide

    2017-01-01

    We describe a VLBI experiment in which, for the first time, the clock reference is delivered from a National Metrology Institute to a radio telescope using a coherent fibre link 550 km long. The experiment consisted of a 24-hours long geodetic campaign, performed by a network of European telescopes; in one of those (Medicina, Italy) the local clock was alternated with a signal generated from an optical comb slaved to a fibre-disseminated optical signal. The quality of the results obtained with this facility and with the local clock is similar: interferometric fringes were detected throughout the whole 24-hours period and it was possible to obtain a solution whose residuals are comparable to those obtained with the local clock. These results encourage further investigation of the ultimate VLBI performances achievable using fibre dissemination at the highest precision of state-of-the-art atomic clocks. PMID:28145451

  7. A VLBI experiment using a remote atomic clock via a coherent fibre link.

    PubMed

    Clivati, Cecilia; Ambrosini, Roberto; Artz, Thomas; Bertarini, Alessandra; Bortolotti, Claudio; Frittelli, Matteo; Levi, Filippo; Mura, Alberto; Maccaferri, Giuseppe; Nanni, Mauro; Negusini, Monia; Perini, Federico; Roma, Mauro; Stagni, Matteo; Zucco, Massimo; Calonico, Davide

    2017-02-01

    We describe a VLBI experiment in which, for the first time, the clock reference is delivered from a National Metrology Institute to a radio telescope using a coherent fibre link 550 km long. The experiment consisted of a 24-hours long geodetic campaign, performed by a network of European telescopes; in one of those (Medicina, Italy) the local clock was alternated with a signal generated from an optical comb slaved to a fibre-disseminated optical signal. The quality of the results obtained with this facility and with the local clock is similar: interferometric fringes were detected throughout the whole 24-hours period and it was possible to obtain a solution whose residuals are comparable to those obtained with the local clock. These results encourage further investigation of the ultimate VLBI performances achievable using fibre dissemination at the highest precision of state-of-the-art atomic clocks.

  8. Multi-phase-fluid discrimination with local fibre-optical probes: III. Three-phase flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fordham, E. J.; Ramos, R. T.; Holmes, A.; Simonian, S.; Huang, S.-M.; Lenn, C. P.

    1999-12-01

    Local fibre-optical sensors (or `local probes') for immiscible-fluid discrimination are demonstrated in three-phase (oil/water/gas) flows. The probes are made from standard silica fibres with plane oblique facets polished at the fibre tip, with surface treatment for wettability control. They use total internal reflection to distinguish among drops, bubbles and other regions of fluid in multi-phase flows, on the basis of refractive-index contrast. Dual probes, using two sensors each with a quasi-binary output, are used to determine profiles of three-phase volume fraction in a flow of kerosene, water and air in a pipe. The individual sensors used discriminate oil from `not-oil' and gas from liquid; their logical combination discriminates among the three phases. Companion papers deal with the sensor designs used and quantitative results achieved in the simpler two-phase cases of liquid/liquid flows and gas/liquid flows.

  9. A VLBI experiment using a remote atomic clock via a coherent fibre link

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clivati, Cecilia; Ambrosini, Roberto; Artz, Thomas; Bertarini, Alessandra; Bortolotti, Claudio; Frittelli, Matteo; Levi, Filippo; Mura, Alberto; Maccaferri, Giuseppe; Nanni, Mauro; Negusini, Monia; Perini, Federico; Roma, Mauro; Stagni, Matteo; Zucco, Massimo; Calonico, Davide

    2017-02-01

    We describe a VLBI experiment in which, for the first time, the clock reference is delivered from a National Metrology Institute to a radio telescope using a coherent fibre link 550 km long. The experiment consisted of a 24-hours long geodetic campaign, performed by a network of European telescopes; in one of those (Medicina, Italy) the local clock was alternated with a signal generated from an optical comb slaved to a fibre-disseminated optical signal. The quality of the results obtained with this facility and with the local clock is similar: interferometric fringes were detected throughout the whole 24-hours period and it was possible to obtain a solution whose residuals are comparable to those obtained with the local clock. These results encourage further investigation of the ultimate VLBI performances achievable using fibre dissemination at the highest precision of state-of-the-art atomic clocks.

  10. Refractive-index profiling of embedded microstructures in optical materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dave, Digant P.; Milner, Thomas E.

    2002-04-01

    We describe use of a phase-sensitive low-coherence reflectometer to measure spatial variation of refractive index in optical materials. The described interferometric technique is demonstrated to be a valuable tool to profile the refractive index of optical elements such as integrated waveguides and photowritten optical microstructures. As an example, a refractive-index profile is mapped of a microstructure written in a microscope glass slide with an ultrashort-pulse laser.

  11. An enhanced method to determine the Young’s modulus of technical single fibres by means of high resolution digital image correlation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huether, Jonas; Rupp, Peter; Kohlschreiber, Ina; André Weidenmann, Kay

    2018-04-01

    To obtain mechanical tensile properties of materials it is customary to equip the specimen directly with a device to measure strain and Young’s modulus correctly and only within the measuring length defined by the standards. Whereas a variety of tools such as extensometers, strain gauges and optical systems are available for specimens on coupon level, no market-ready tools to measure strains of single fibres during single fibre tensile tests are available. Although there is a standard for single fibre testing, the procedures described there are only capable of measuring strains of the whole testing setup rather than the strain of the fibre. Without a direct strain measurement on the specimen, the compliance of the test rig itself influences the determination of the Young’s modulus. This work aims to fill this gap by establishing an enhanced method to measure strains directly on the tested fibre and thus provide accurate values for Young’s modulus. It is demonstrated that by applying and then optically tracking fluorescing polymeric beads on single glass fibres, Young’s modulus is determined directly and with high repeatability, without a need to measure at different measuring lengths or compensating for the system compliance. Employing this method to glass fibres, a Young’s modulus of approximately 82.5 GPa was determined, which is in the range of values obtained by applying a conventional procedure. This enhanced measuring technology achieves high accuracy and repeatability while reducing scatter of the data. It was demonstrated that the fluorescing beads do not affect the fibre properties.

  12. Collagen fibre arrangement in the skin of the pig.

    PubMed Central

    Meyer, W; Neurand, K; Radke, B

    1982-01-01

    The arrangement and proportion of collagen fibres and fibre bundles in the dermis of the pig have been investigated with light microscopical (Nomarski's interference contrast, polarization optics) and scanning electron microscopical methods. Skin samples were obtained from different body regions of wild boars, domestic pigs and miniature pigs. All the methods used have demonstrated that the bulk of the dermis is dominated by a massive three dimensional network of collagen fibres and fibre bundles, which cross each other in two main directions. Several smaller fibre bundles pass through the network in various other directions, constructing a densely interwoven fibre pattern. Differences were obvious between the body regions and the animals investigated. Images Fig. 1 Figs. 2-5 Fig. 6 Figs. 7, 8 Figs. 9-11 PMID:7076540

  13. Scintillating fibres coupled to silicon photomultiplier prototypes for fast beam monitoring and thin timing detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papa, A.; Kettle, P.-R.; Ripiccini, E.; Rutar, G.

    2016-07-01

    Several scintillating fibre prototypes (single- and double-layers) made of 250 μm multi-clad square fibres coupled to silicon photomultiplier have been studied using electrons, positrons and muons at different energies. Current measurements show promising results: already for a single fibre layer and minimum ionizing particles we obtain a detection efficiency ≥ 95 % (mean collected light/fibre ≈ 8 phe), a timing resolution of 550 ps/fibre and a foreseen spatial resolution < 100 μm, based on the achieved negligible optical cross-talk between fibres (< 1 %). We will also discuss the performances of a double-layer staggered prototype configuration, for which a full detection efficiency (≥ 99 %) has been measured together with a timing resolution of ≈ 400 ps for double hit events.

  14. Fabrication et caracterisation d'hybrides optiques tout-fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madore, Wendy Julie

    In this thesis, we present the fabrication and characterization of optical hybrids made of all fibre 3 × 3 and 4 × 4 couplers. The three-fibre components are made with a triangular cross section, while the four-fibre components are made with a square cross section. All of these couplers have to exhibit equipartition of output amplitudes and specific relative phases of the output signals to be referred to as optical hybrids. These two types of couplers are first modelled to determine the appropriate set of experimental parameters to make hybrids out of them. The prototypes are made in standard telecommunication fibres and then characterized to quantify the performances in transmission and in phase. The objectives of this work is first to model the behaviour and physical properties of 3×3 and 4 × 4 couplers to make sure they can meet the requirements of optical hybrids with an appropriate set of fabrication parameters. The next step is to make prototypes of these 3×3 and 4 × 4 couplers and test their behaviour to check how they fulfill the requirements of optical hybrids. The experimental set-up selected is based on the fusion-tapering technique to make optical fibre components. The heat source is a micro-torch fuelled with a gas mix including propane and oxygen. This type of set-up gives the required freedom to adjust experimental parameters to suit both 3×3 and 4×4 couplers. The versatility of the set-up is also an advantage towards a repeatable and stable process to fuse and taper the different structures. The fabricated triangular-shape couplers have a total transmission of 85 % (-0,7 dB), the crossing is typically located around 1 550 nm with a transmission of around 33 % (-4 dB) per branch. In addition, the relative phases between the output signals are 120±9°. The fabricated square-shape couplers have a total transmission of 89 % (-0,5 dB) with a crossing around 1 550 nm and a transmission around 25 % (-6 dB) per branch. The relative phases between the output signals are 90±3°. As standard telecommunications fibres are used to make the couplers, the prototypes are compatible with all standard fibered set-ups and benches. The properties of optical hybrids are very interesting in coherent detection, where an unambiguous phase measurement is desired. For instance, some standard telecommunication systems use phase-shift keying (PSK), which means information is encoded in the phase of the electromagnetic wave. An all-optical decoding of signal is possible using optical hybrids. Another application is in biomedical imaging with techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), or to a more general extend, profilometry systems. In state-of-the-art techniques, a conventional interferometer combined with Fourier analysis only gives absolute value of the phase. Therefore, the achievable imaging depth in the sample is decreased by a factor 2. Using optical hybrids would simply allow that unambiguous phase measurement, giving the sign and value of the phase at the same time.

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kulchin, Yurii N; Vitrik, O B; Gurbatov, S O

    The phase of light propagating through a bent optical fibre is shown to depend on the refractive index of the medium surrounding the fibre cladding when there is resonance coupling between the guided core mode and cladding modes. This shifts the spectral maxima in the bent fibre-optic Fabry - Perot interferometer. The highest phase and spectral sensitivities achieved with this interferometer configuration are 0.71 and 0.077, respectively, and enable changes in the refractive index of the ambient medium down to 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -6} to be detected. This makes the proposed approach potentially attractive for producing highly stable, precision refractivemore » index sensors capable of solving a wide range of liquid refractometry problems.« less

  16. A Novel Approach to the Sensing of Liquid Density Using a Plastic Optical Fibre Cantilever Beam

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kulkarni, Atul; Kim, Youngjin; Kim, Taesung

    2009-01-01

    This article reports for the first time the use of a plastic optical fibre (POF) cantilever beam to measure the density of a liquid. The sensor is based on the Archimedes buoyancy principle. The sensor consists of a POF bonded on the surface of a metal beam in the form of a cantilever configuration, and at the free end of the beam a displacer is…

  17. Optical-fibre sensor system for monitoring the performance of the gas propellant centrifuge separator of a spacecraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romo-Medrano, Katya E.; Khotiaintsev, Sergei N.; García-Garduño, Victor

    2004-08-01

    An optical-fibre sensor system is presented for monitoring void fraction distribution in a spacecraft's gas and propellant centrifuge separator. The system could be used at the separator development stage or for monitoring, during ground tests, the elements of the spacecraft propulsion system. Our sensor system employs an array of point optical-fibre refractometric transducers installed in the form of several linear radial arrays on the separator rotating blades. We employed a small-size hemispherical optical detection element as the transducer and we optimized its parameters through numerical ray-tracing. The aim is to minimize the effect of the thin film of liquid that forms on the transducer's surface in this application. The features of this sensor system are: (1) an efficient matrix-type multiplexing scheme, (2) the installation of the main optoelectronic unit of the sensor in a hermetically sealed container inside the separator tank located on the rotating shaft and (3) the spark-proof and explosion-proof design of the sensor circuits and elements. The sensor is simple, reliable, low-cost and is capable of withstanding the factors involved during operation of the propulsion system such as cryogenic temperatures and chemically aggressive liquids. The novel elements and design concepts implemented in this sensor system can also find applications in other sensors for spacecraft propulsion systems and also in a variety of optical-fibre sensors used in scientific research and industry.

  18. Absolute measurement of the 1S0 − 3P0 clock transition in neutral 88Sr over the 330 km-long stabilized fibre optic link

    PubMed Central

    Morzyński, Piotr; Bober, Marcin; Bartoszek-Bober, Dobrosława; Nawrocki, Jerzy; Krehlik, Przemysław; Śliwczyński, Łukasz; Lipiński, Marcin; Masłowski, Piotr; Cygan, Agata; Dunst, Piotr; Garus, Michał; Lisak, Daniel; Zachorowski, Jerzy; Gawlik, Wojciech; Radzewicz, Czesław; Ciuryło, Roman; Zawada, Michał

    2015-01-01

    We report a stability below 7 × 10−17 of two independent optical lattice clocks operating with bosonic 88Sr isotope. The value (429 228 066 418 008.3(1.9)syst (0.9)stat Hz) of the absolute frequency of the 1S0 – 3P0 transition was measured with an optical frequency comb referenced to the local representation of the UTC by the 330 km-long stabilized fibre optical link. The result was verified by series of measurements on two independent optical lattice clocks and agrees with recommendation of Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. PMID:26639347

  19. A simple method for orienting silk and other flexible fibres in transmission electron microscopy specimens.

    PubMed

    Trancik, J E; Czernuszka, J T; Merriman, C; Viney, C

    2001-09-01

    When microstructures are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the interpretation of results is facilitated if the material can be sectioned in defined orientations. In the case of fibres, it is especially useful if transverse and longitudinal sections can be obtained reliably. Here we describe a procedure for orienting spider silk and other flexible fibres for TEM investigation. Prior to embedding in epoxy resin, the silk is wound around a notched support made from polyester film. No glue is required. After the silk and its supporting film have been embedded and the resin has been cured the film can be peeled away to reveal nearly perfectly orientated silk threads. Both transverse and longitudinal sections can then be cut with a microtome. The method can be extended to obtain sections at any intermediate orientation.

  20. Graphene-clad microfibre saturable absorber for ultrafast fibre lasers.

    PubMed

    Liu, X M; Yang, H R; Cui, Y D; Chen, G W; Yang, Y; Wu, X Q; Yao, X K; Han, D D; Han, X X; Zeng, C; Guo, J; Li, W L; Cheng, G; Tong, L M

    2016-05-16

    Graphene, whose absorbance is approximately independent of wavelength, allows broadband light-matter interactions with ultrafast responses. The interband optical absorption of graphene can be saturated readily under strong excitation, thereby enabling scientists to exploit the photonic properties of graphene to realize ultrafast lasers. The evanescent field interaction scheme of the propagating light with graphene covered on a D-shaped fibre or microfibre has been employed extensively because of the nonblocking configuration. Obviously, most of the fibre surface is unused in these techniques. Here, we exploit a graphene-clad microfibre (GCM) saturable absorber in a mode-locked fibre laser for the generation of ultrafast pulses. The proposed all-surface technique can guarantee a higher efficiency of light-graphene interactions than the aforementioned techniques. Our GCM-based saturable absorber can generate ultrafast optical pulses within 1.5 μm. This saturable absorber is compatible with current fibre lasers and has many merits such as low saturation intensities, ultrafast recovery times, and wide wavelength ranges. The proposed saturable absorber will pave the way for graphene-based wideband photonics.

  1. Ultra-high bandwidth quantum secured data transmission

    PubMed Central

    Dynes, James F.; Tam, Winci W-S.; Plews, Alan; Fröhlich, Bernd; Sharpe, Andrew W.; Lucamarini, Marco; Yuan, Zhiliang; Radig, Christian; Straw, Andrew; Edwards, Tim; Shields, Andrew J.

    2016-01-01

    Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides an attractive means for securing communications in optical fibre networks. However, deployment of the technology has been hampered by the frequent need for dedicated dark fibres to segregate the very weak quantum signals from conventional traffic. Up until now the coexistence of QKD with data has been limited to bandwidths that are orders of magnitude below those commonly employed in fibre optic communication networks. Using an optimised wavelength divisional multiplexing scheme, we transport QKD and the prevalent 100 Gb/s data format in the forward direction over the same fibre for the first time. We show a full quantum encryption system operating with a bandwidth of 200 Gb/s over a 100 km fibre. Exploring the ultimate limits of the technology by experimental measurements of the Raman noise, we demonstrate it is feasible to combine QKD with 10 Tb/s of data over a 50 km link. These results suggest it will be possible to integrate QKD and other quantum photonic technologies into high bandwidth data communication infrastructures, thereby allowing their widespread deployment. PMID:27734921

  2. Ultra-high bandwidth quantum secured data transmission

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dynes, James F.; Tam, Winci W.-S.; Plews, Alan; Fröhlich, Bernd; Sharpe, Andrew W.; Lucamarini, Marco; Yuan, Zhiliang; Radig, Christian; Straw, Andrew; Edwards, Tim; Shields, Andrew J.

    2016-10-01

    Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides an attractive means for securing communications in optical fibre networks. However, deployment of the technology has been hampered by the frequent need for dedicated dark fibres to segregate the very weak quantum signals from conventional traffic. Up until now the coexistence of QKD with data has been limited to bandwidths that are orders of magnitude below those commonly employed in fibre optic communication networks. Using an optimised wavelength divisional multiplexing scheme, we transport QKD and the prevalent 100 Gb/s data format in the forward direction over the same fibre for the first time. We show a full quantum encryption system operating with a bandwidth of 200 Gb/s over a 100 km fibre. Exploring the ultimate limits of the technology by experimental measurements of the Raman noise, we demonstrate it is feasible to combine QKD with 10 Tb/s of data over a 50 km link. These results suggest it will be possible to integrate QKD and other quantum photonic technologies into high bandwidth data communication infrastructures, thereby allowing their widespread deployment.

  3. Multi-phase-fluid discrimination with local fibre-optical probes: I. Liquid/liquid flows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fordham, E. J.; Holmes, A.; Ramos, R. T.; Simonian, S.; Huang, S.-M.; Lenn, C. P.

    1999-12-01

    We demonstrate the use of a novel design of fibre-optical sensor (or `local probe') for immiscible-fluid discrimination in multi-phase flows. These probes are made from standard silica fibres with plane oblique facets polished at the fibre tip, with various surface treatments, including a crucial one for wettability control. Total internal reflection is used to distinguish drops, bubbles or other regions of fluid in multi-phase flows, on the basis of refractive-index contrast. Such probes have quasi-binary outputs; we demonstrate in this paper their use in distinguishing water from oil (kerosene) in oil/water two-phase flows and compare the results with those obtained from a simple cleaved fibre relying on the (small) difference in Fresnel reflectivity for discrimination. Quantitative accuracy is demonstrated by comparison of profiles, across a pipe diameter, of local, time-averaged volume fractions (`hold-ups'), with pipe-averaged hold-ups determined from a carefully calibrated gradio-manometer in a fully developed region of the flow. Companion papers deal with the sensors used and results achieved in gas/liquid flows and three-phase flows.

  4. Graphene-clad microfibre saturable absorber for ultrafast fibre lasers

    PubMed Central

    Liu, X. M.; Yang, H. R.; Cui, Y. D.; Chen, G. W.; Yang, Y.; Wu, X. Q.; Yao, X. K.; Han, D. D.; Han, X. X.; Zeng, C.; Guo, J.; Li, W. L.; Cheng, G.; Tong, L. M.

    2016-01-01

    Graphene, whose absorbance is approximately independent of wavelength, allows broadband light–matter interactions with ultrafast responses. The interband optical absorption of graphene can be saturated readily under strong excitation, thereby enabling scientists to exploit the photonic properties of graphene to realize ultrafast lasers. The evanescent field interaction scheme of the propagating light with graphene covered on a D-shaped fibre or microfibre has been employed extensively because of the nonblocking configuration. Obviously, most of the fibre surface is unused in these techniques. Here, we exploit a graphene-clad microfibre (GCM) saturable absorber in a mode-locked fibre laser for the generation of ultrafast pulses. The proposed all-surface technique can guarantee a higher efficiency of light–graphene interactions than the aforementioned techniques. Our GCM-based saturable absorber can generate ultrafast optical pulses within 1.5 μm. This saturable absorber is compatible with current fibre lasers and has many merits such as low saturation intensities, ultrafast recovery times, and wide wavelength ranges. The proposed saturable absorber will pave the way for graphene-based wideband photonics. PMID:27181419

  5. Correlation between white matter microstructure and executive functions suggests early developmental influence on long fibre tracts in preterm born adolescents.

    PubMed

    Vollmer, Brigitte; Lundequist, Aiko; Mårtensson, Gustaf; Nagy, Zoltan; Lagercrantz, Hugo; Smedler, Ann-Charlotte; Forssberg, Hans

    2017-01-01

    Executive functions are frequently a weakness in children born preterm. We examined associations of executive functions and general cognitive abilities with brain structure in preterm born adolescents who were born with appropriate weight for gestational age and who have no radiological signs of preterm brain injury on neuroimaging. The Stockholm Neonatal Project (SNP) is a longitudinal, population-based study of children born preterm (<36 weeks of gestation) with very low birth weight (<1501g) between 1988-1993. At age 18 years (mean 18 years, SD 2 weeks) 134 preterm born and 94 full term participants underwent psychological assessment (general intelligence, executive function measures). Of these, 71 preterm and 63 full term participants underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at mean 15.2 years (range 12-18 years), including 3D T1-weighted images for volumetric analyses and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) for assessment of white matter microstructure. Group comparisons of regional grey and white matter volumes and fractional anisotropy (FA, as a measure of white matter microstructure) and, within each group, correlation analyses of cognitive measures with MRI metrics were carried out. Significant differences in grey and white matter regional volumes and widespread differences in FA were seen between the two groups. No significant correlations were found between cognitive measures and brain volumes in any group after correction for multiple comparisons. However, there were significant correlations between FA in projection fibres and long association fibres, linking frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, and measures of executive function and general cognitive abilities in the preterm born adolescents, but not in the term born adolescents. In persons born preterm, in the absence of perinatal brain injury on visual inspection of MRI, widespread alterations in regional brain tissue volumes and microstructure are present in adolescence/young adulthood. Importantly, these alterations in WM tracts are correlated with measures of executive function and general cognitive abilities. Our findings suggest that disturbance of neural pathways, rather than changes in regional brain volumes, are involved in the impaired cognitive functions.

  6. Fibre optic system for biochemical and microbiological sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penwill, L. A.; Slater, J. H.; Hayes, N. W.; Tremlett, C. J.

    2007-07-01

    This poster will discuss state-of-the-art fibre optic sensors based on evanescent wave technology emphasising chemophotonic sensors for biochemical reactions and microbe detection. Devices based on antibody specificity and unique DNA sequences will be described. The development of simple sensor devices with disposable single use sensor probes will be illustrated with a view to providing cost effective field based or point of care analysis of major themes such as hospital acquired infections or bioterrorism events. This presentation will discuss the nature and detection thresholds required, the optical detection techniques investigated, results of sensor trials and the potential for wider commercial application.

  7. Development of a Brillouin scattering based distributed fibre optic strain sensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Anthony Wayne

    2001-07-01

    The parameters of the Brillouin spectrum of an optical fibre depend upon the strain and temperature conditions of the fibre. As a result, fibre optic distributed sensors based on Brillouin scattering can measure strain and temperature in arbitrary regions of a sensing fibre. In the past, such sensors have often been demonstrated under laboratory conditions, demonstrating the principle of operation. Although some field tests of temperature sensing have been reported, the actual deployment of such sensors in the field for strain measurements has been limited by poor spatial resolution (typically 1 m or more) and poor strain accuracy (+/-100 muepsilon). Also, cross-sensitivity of the Brillouin spectrum to temperature further reduces the accuracy of strain measurement while long acquisition times hinders field use. The high level of user knowledge and lack of automation required to operate the equipment is another limiting factor of the only commercially available unit. The potential benefits of distributed measurements are great for instrumentation of civil structures provided that the above limitations are overcome. However, before this system is used with confidence by practitioners, it is essential that it can be effectively operated in field conditions. In light of this, the fibre optics group at the University of New Brunswick has been developing an automated system for field measurement of strain in civil structures, particularly in reinforced concrete. The development of the sensing system hardware and software was the main focus of this thesis. This has been made possible, in part, by observation of the Brillouin spectrum for the case of using very short light pulses (<10 ns). The end product of the development is a sensor with a spatial resolution that has been improved to 100 mm. Measurement techniques that improve system performance to measure strain to an accuracy of 10 muepsilon; and allow the simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature to an accuracy of 204 muepsilon and 3°C are presented. Finally, the results of field measurement of strain on a concrete structure are presented.

  8. Macrobend optical sensing for pose measurement in soft robot arms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sareh, Sina; Noh, Yohan; Li, Min; Ranzani, Tommaso; Liu, Hongbin; Althoefer, Kaspar

    2015-12-01

    This paper introduces a pose-sensing system for soft robot arms integrating a set of macrobend stretch sensors. The macrobend sensory design in this study consists of optical fibres and is based on the notion that bending an optical fibre modulates the intensity of the light transmitted through the fibre. This sensing method is capable of measuring bending, elongation and compression in soft continuum robots and is also applicable to wearable sensing technologies, e.g. pose sensing in the wrist joint of a human hand. In our arrangement, applied to a cylindrical soft robot arm, the optical fibres for macrobend sensing originate from the base, extend to the tip of the arm, and then loop back to the base. The connectors that link the fibres to the necessary opto-electronics are all placed at the base of the arm, resulting in a simplified overall design. The ability of this custom macrobend stretch sensor to flexibly adapt its configuration allows preserving the inherent softness and compliance of the robot which it is installed on. The macrobend sensing system is immune to electrical noise and magnetic fields, is safe (because no electricity is needed at the sensing site), and is suitable for modular implementation in multi-link soft continuum robotic arms. The measurable light outputs of the proposed stretch sensor vary due to bend-induced light attenuation (macrobend loss), which is a function of the fibre bend radius as well as the number of repeated turns. The experimental study conducted as part of this research revealed that the chosen bend radius has a far greater impact on the measured light intensity values than the number of turns (if greater than five). Taking into account that the bend radius is the only significantly influencing design parameter, the macrobend stretch sensors were developed to create a practical solution to the pose sensing in soft continuum robot arms. Henceforward, the proposed sensing design was benchmarked against an electromagnetic tracking system (NDI Aurora) for validation.

  9. The complete optical oscilloscope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, Cheng; Goda, Keisuke

    2018-04-01

    Observing ultrafast transient dynamics in optics is a challenging task. Two teams in Europe have now independently developed `optical oscilloscopes' that can capture both amplitude and phase information of ultrafast optical signals. Their schemes yield new insights into the nonlinear physics that takes place inside optical fibres.

  10. The European project Hippo high-power photonics for satellite laser communications and on-board optical processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kehayas, E.; Stampoulidis, L.; Henderson, P.; Robertson, Andrew; Van Dijk, F.; Achouche, M.; Le Kernec, A.; Sotom, M.; Schuberts, F.; Brabant, T.

    2017-11-01

    Photonics is progressively transforming from a highly- focused technology applicable to digital communication networks into a pervasive "enabling" technology with diverse non-telecom applications. However, the centre of mass on the R&D level is still mostly driven by, and invested in, by stakeholders active in the telecoms domain. This is due to the high level of investments necessary that in turn require a large and established market for reaching break-even and generation of revenues. Photonics technology and more specifically, fibre-optic technology is moving into non-telecom business areas with great success in terms of markets captured and penetration rates. One example that cannot be overlooked is the application of fibre-optics to industrial applications, where double-digit growth rates are recorded with fibre lasers and amplifiers constantly gaining momentum. In this example, several years of R&D efforts in creating high-power amplification solutions and fibre-laser sources by the telecom sector, were piggy-backed into industrial applications and laser cutting/welding equipment that is now a strong R&D sector on its own and commercially now displacing some conventional free space laser cutting/welding.

  11. AGILIS: Agile Guided Interferometer for Longbaseline Imaging Synthesis. Demonstration and concepts of reconfigurable optical imaging interferometers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woillez, Julien; Lai, Olivier; Perrin, Guy; Reynaud, François; Baril, Marc; Dong, Yue; Fédou, Pierre

    2017-06-01

    Context. In comparison to the radio and sub-millimetric domains, imaging with optical interferometry is still in its infancy. Due to the limited number of telescopes in existing arrays, image generation is a demanding process that relies on time-consuming reconfiguration of the interferometer array and super-synthesis. Aims: Using single mode optical fibres for the coherent transport of light from the collecting telescopes to the focal plane, a new generation of interferometers optimized for imaging can be designed. Methods: To support this claim, we report on the successful completion of the `OHANA Iki project: an end-to-end, on-sky demonstration of a two-telescope interferometer, built around near-infrared single mode fibres, carried out as part of the `OHANA project. Results: Having demonstrated that coherent transport by single-mode fibres is feasible, we explore the concepts, performances, and limitations of a new imaging facility with single mode fibres at its heart: Agile Guided Interferometer for Longbaseline Imaging Synthesis (AGILIS). Conclusions: AGILIS has the potential of becoming a next generation facility or a precursor to a much larger project like the Planet Formation Imager (PFI).

  12. Effects of coating thickness on high power metal coated fibre lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daniel, Jae M. O.; Simakov, Nikita; Hemming, Alexander; Clarkson, W. Andrew; Haub, John

    2017-03-01

    We investigate the effects of coating thickness on the scattering losses of metal coated active fibre. A range of low numerical aperture metal coated optical fibres are placed in etchant solutions whilst measuring propagation loss as a function of time. By utilising concurrent coating diameter measurements, we are able to correlate propagation losses with coating thickness. Experimentally we find a monotonic dependence on coating thickness and scattering loss. We present the results of this work, providing useful parameters for high power metal coated fibre laser designs.

  13. Texture analysis of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe alloys by X-ray and neutron diffraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Béchade, J. L.; Mathon, M. H.; Branger, V.; Réglé, H.; Alamo, A.

    2002-07-01

    The ferritic ODS alloys studied were obtained by mechanical alloying. This strengthening method is very attractive, in particular for nuclear applications. In order to ensure the alloy a good compromise between mechanical resistance and ductility at high temperatures, it is necessary to control the microstructure and in particular the evolution during the recrystallization. First, a preliminary study, performed by X ray diffraction and optical microscopy, shows several grain growth mechanisms ; in particular, the “abnormal” grain growth mechanism which conducts to a large grain size [1], [2]. After annealing (3600s at 1470^{circ}C), the 30% cold-worked (swaging) alloys exhibit an heterogeneous microstructure with a large grains size ( 200 to 500 μm) in the heart and near the surface of the material when the intermediate zone is inhabited by small grains ( 1 μm). Fora higher cold-work level (60%), large size grains are only present in the periphery of the material. On account of the large grain size and strong heterogeneity of the microstructure, texture analysis using laboratory x-ray beam in not well adapted and so we have decided to use neutron beam. The neutron diffraction texture analysis has been performed at the Laboratoire Léon Brillouin on the 6T1 diffractometer on 2 different rods of the alloy (corresponding to the reduction ratios of 30% and 60%). Specific samples have been machined to characterise separately the zones with a different microstructure. After deformation, the alloys exhibit a typical α-fibre texture \\{ hkl \\} <1l0> whatever the area of the sample and the reduction ratio. After recrystallization, a very inhomogeneous texture is evidenced through the thickness of the sample, in particular for the rod deformed with a reduction ratio of 30% : in the heart and in the periphery of the rod, a “single-crystal” type texture is observed; the a fibre remains for the intermediate diameter of the rod. For the rod cold rolled with a reduction ratio of 60%, the α-fibre keeps on the heart of the material and as in the precedent case, a “single-crystal” type texture is observed near the surface of the sample. EBSD measurements have been performed to explicit at a local scale this behaviour and in order to furnish some input data for the simulation of static recrystallization. Les aciers ferritiques avec dispersion d'oxydes étudiés sont obtenus par métallurgie des poudres, ce qui leur confère une résistance mécanique accrue à haute température notamment pour des applications nucléaires. La difficulté pour l'utilisation de tels alliages réside dans la maîtrise de leur microstructure au cours de l'élaboration en particulier durant la recristallisation. Une première étude en diffraction des rayons-x et en métallographie optique a permis de révéler différents mécanismes de croissance du grain lors de la recristallisation, notamment une croissance “anormale” conduisant à une taille de grain très importante [t], [2]. Après recuit (3600s à 1470^{circ}C), précédé par un écrouissage de 30% sur des barres (par martelage) on voit apparaître une microstructure hétérogène à gros grains ( 200 à 500 μm) au coeur et en surface externe de la barre alors que la zone intermédiaire est peuplée de grains fins (sim 1 μm). Pour un écrouissage plus élevé (60%), après le même recuit, on ne voit apparaître des gros grains qu'en périphérie de la barre. Pour ce type de microstructure fortement hétérogène et à gros grains, la diffraction des rayons-x pour l'analyse de texture est mal adaptée, ce qui nous a conduit à utiliser la diffraction des neutrons sur le diffractomètre 6TI du Laboratoire Léon Brillouin. Les deux matériaux, écrouis de 30% et 60%, ont été analysés en réalisant des échantillons particuliers permettant d'étudier séparément le coeur et la périphérie. Après déformation, les deux échantillons présentent une texture de fibre α \\{ hkl \\} <1l0> en tout point de la barre. Après recristallisation, on retrouve une texture très hétérogène suivant le rayon de la barre, notamment après 30% : le coeur et la périphérie de la barre présentent une texture de type “mono-cristal”, la zone intermédiaire restant une fibre α. Après écrouissage de 60%, on garde la fibre α au coeur de la barre, la périphérie présentant, comme pour l'écrouissage précédent, une texture de type “mono-cristal”. Des analyses en EBSD ont également été réalisées pour foumir des éléments de compréhension sur les mécanismes locaux de recristallisation afin de simuler la recristallisation statique de ses alliages via une approche numérique.

  14. Towards the Wetness Characterization of Soil Subsurface Using Fibre Optic Distributed Acoustic Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ciocca, F.; Bodet, L.; Simon, N.; Karaulanov, R.; Clarke, A.; Abesser, C.; Krause, S.; Chalari, A.; Mondanos, M.

    2017-12-01

    Active seismic methods combined with detectors deployed at the soil surface, such as vertical collinear geophones, have revealed great potential for hydrogeophysical characterization of the soil vadose zone. In particular, recent findings have highlighted a clear dependence of both P-waves arrival times and surface-wave dispersion on the local degree of soil saturation, visible at laboratory as well as at field scale. In this study, we investigate the sensitivity of a fibre optic Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) to different soil saturation. In vertical seismic applications, DAS have proven to offer equal and often better performance compared to the geophones, with the advantage that a fibre optic cable, whose length can reach 40 km, replaces the array of geophones as sensing element. We present the response to active seismic tests of 20 m of fibre optic cable buried in a poorly permeable bare soil. Tests were conducted in different moments of the year, with saturation monitored by means of independent dielectric probes. Body-wave travel times as well as surface-wave dispersion are compared. Finally, we discuss the possibility to determine a site-specific relation between the Poisson ratio and the soil saturation. This research has been performed in the framework of the British National Environmental Research Council (NERC) funded Distributed intelligent Heat Pulse System (DiHPS) project and of the Marie Curie H2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) consortium Hi-Freq.

  15. Real time monitoring of water level and temperature in storage fuel pools through optical fibre sensors.

    PubMed

    Rizzolo, S; Périsse, J; Boukenter, A; Ouerdane, Y; Marin, E; Macé, J-R; Cannas, M; Girard, S

    2017-08-18

    We present an innovative architecture of a Rayleigh-based optical fibre sensor for the monitoring of water level and temperature inside storage nuclear fuel pools. This sensor, able to withstand the harsh constraints encountered under accidental conditions such as those pointed-out during the Fukushima-Daiichi event (temperature up to 100 °C and radiation dose level up to ~20 kGy), exploits the Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry technique to remotely monitor a radiation resistant silica-based optical fibre i.e. its sensing probe. We validate the efficiency and the robustness of water level measurements, which are extrapolated from the temperature profile along the fibre length, in a dedicated test bench allowing the simulation of the environmental operating and accidental conditions. The conceived prototype ensures an easy, practical and no invasive integration into existing nuclear facilities. The obtained results represent a significant breakthrough and comfort the ability of the developed system to overcome both operating and accidental constraints providing the distributed profiles of the water level (0-to-5 m) and temperature (20-to-100 °C) with a resolution that in accidental condition is better than 3 cm and of ~0.5 °C respectively. These new sensors will be able, as safeguards, to contribute and reinforce the safety in existing and future nuclear power plants.

  16. Microcontroller based fibre-optic visual presentation system for multisensory neuroimaging.

    PubMed

    Kurniawan, Veldri; Klemen, Jane; Chambers, Christopher D

    2011-10-30

    Presenting visual stimuli in physical 3D space during fMRI experiments carries significant technical challenges. Certain types of multisensory visuotactile experiments and visuomotor tasks require presentation of visual stimuli in peripersonal space, which cannot be accommodated by ordinary projection screens or binocular goggles. However, light points produced by a group of LEDs can be transmitted through fibre-optic cables and positioned anywhere inside the MRI scanner. Here we describe the design and implementation of a microcontroller-based programmable digital device for controlling fibre-optically transmitted LED lights from a PC. The main feature of this device is the ability to independently control the colour, brightness, and timing of each LED. Moreover, the device was designed in a modular and extensible way, which enables easy adaptation for various experimental paradigms. The device was tested and validated in three fMRI experiments involving basic visual perception, a simple colour discrimination task, and a blocked multisensory visuo-tactile task. The results revealed significant lateralized activation in occipital cortex of all participants, a reliable response in ventral occipital areas to colour stimuli elicited by the device, and strong activations in multisensory brain regions in the multisensory task. Overall, these findings confirm the suitability of this device for presenting complex fibre-optic visual and cross-modal stimuli inside the scanner. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Solar internal lighting using optical collectors and fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Francini, F.; Fontani, D.; Jafrancesco, D.; Mercatelli, L.; Sansoni, P.

    2006-08-01

    A system exploiting solar energy, by means of optical collectors and fibres, has been applied for indoor illumination. The project has been called "The Sunflowers" for the property of solar collectors to track solar position during the day. Every "sunflower" contains several solar collectors, each of which is coupled to an optical fibre. The "Sunflower" is provided of mechanical systems and electric accessories for solar tracking. The light focused by the solar collector can be used in two possible ways: for internal illumination with direct solar light; otherwise it can be accumulated for lighting when the sun is not present. The first function is obtained coupling the optical collector to an optical fibre, which transports the solar light in selected points within the showcases. The second one consists in focusing solar light on a photovoltaic cell of the last generation type with high efficiency. In this configuration the photovoltaic cell converts the focused light into electric energy to be used for illumination in case of sun absence. A demonstrative installation has been realised applying this solar illumination system to museum lighting: a prototype has been tested in a prestigious museum in Florence.

  18. Review on Microstructure Analysis of Metals and Alloys Using Image Analysis Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rekha, Suganthini; Bupesh Raja, V. K.

    2017-05-01

    The metals and alloys find vast application in engineering and domestic sectors. The mechanical properties of the metals and alloys are influenced by their microstructure. Hence the microstructural investigation is very critical. Traditionally the microstructure is studied using optical microscope with suitable metallurgical preparation. The past few decades the computers are applied in the capture and analysis of the optical micrographs. The advent of computer softwares like digital image processing and computer vision technologies are a boon to the analysis of the microstructure. In this paper the literature study of the various developments in the microstructural analysis, is done. The conventional optical microscope is complemented by the use of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and other high end equipments.

  19. Optical fibre sensing in metals by embedment in 3D printed metallic structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maier, R. R. J.; Havermann, D.; Schneller, O.; Mathew, J.; Polyzos, D.; MacPherson, W. N.; Hand, D. P.

    2014-05-01

    Additive manufacturing or 3D printing of structural components in metals has potential to revolutionise the manufacturing industry. Embedded sensing in such structures opens a route towards SMART metals, providing added functionality, intelligence and enhanced performance in many components. Such embedded sensors would be capable of operating at extremely high temperatures by utilizing regenerated fibre Bragg gratings and in-fibre Fabry-Perot cavities.

  20. All-optical switching based on optical fibre long period gratings modified bacteriorhodopsin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Korposh, S.; James, S.; Partridge, M.; Sichka, M.; Tatam, R.

    2018-05-01

    All-optical switching using an optical fibre long-period gating (LPG) modified with bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is demonstrated. The switching process is based on the photo-induced RI change of bR, which in turn changes the phase matching conditions of the mode coupling by the LPG, leading to modulation of the propagating light. The effect was studied with an LPG immersed into a bR solution and with LPGs coated with the bR films, deposited onto the LPGs using the layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly (LbL) method. The dependence of the all-optical switching efficiency upon the concentration of the bR solution and on the grating period of the LPG was also studied. In addition, an in-fibre Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) composed of a cascaded LPG pair separated by 30 mm and modified with bR was used to enhance the wavelength range of all-optical switching. The switching wavelength is determined by the grating period of the LPG. Switching efficiencies of 16% and 35% were observed when an LPG and an MZI were immersed into bR solutions, respectively. The switching time for devices coated with bR-films was within 1 s, 10 times faster than that observed for devices immersed into bR solution.

  1. Evaluating a novel application of optical fibre evanescent field absorbance: rapid measurement of red colour in winegrape homogenates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lye, Peter G.; Bradbury, Ronald; Lamb, David W.

    Silica optical fibres were used to measure colour (mg anthocyanin/g fresh berry weight) in samples of red wine grape homogenates via optical Fibre Evanescent Field Absorbance (FEFA). Colour measurements from 126 samples of grape homogenate were compared against the standard industry spectrophotometric reference method that involves chemical extraction and subsequent optical absorption measurements of clarified samples at 520 nm. FEFA absorbance on homogenates at 520 nm (FEFA520h) was correlated with the industry reference method measurements of colour (R2 = 0.46, n = 126). Using a simple regression equation colour could be predicted with a standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of 0.21 mg/g, with a range of 0.6 to 2.2 mg anthocyanin/g and a standard deviation of 0.33 mg/g. With a Ratio of Performance Deviation (RPD) of 1.6, the technique when utilizing only a single detection wavelength, is not robust enough to apply in a diagnostic sense, however the results do demonstrate the potential of the FEFA method as a fast and low-cost assay of colour in homogenized samples.

  2. Developments In Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry For Automotive Vibration Analysis.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, Jeremy C.; Buckberry, Clive H.; Jones, Julian D. C.; Pannell, Chris N.

    1989-01-01

    The incorporation of monomode fibre optics into an argon ion powered Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometer (ESPI) is reported. The system, consisting of an optics assembly linked to the laser and a CCD camera transceiver, flexibly connected by 40m of monomode fibre optic cable to the optics, has been used to analyse the modal behaviour of structures up to 5m X 3m X 2m in size. Phase modulation of the reference beam in order to operate in a heterodyne mode has been implemented using a piezo-electric crystal operating on the monomode fibre. A new mode of operation - sequential time-average subtraction - and the results of a new processing algorithm are also reported. Their implementation enables speckle free, time-average vibration maps to be generated in real-time on large, unstable structures. Example results for a four cylinder power unit, a vehicle body shell component and an engine oil pan are included. In all cases the analysis was conducted in a general workshop environment without the need for vibration isolation facilities.

  3. Role of oxygen hole centres in the photodarkening of ytterbium-doped phosphosilicate fibre

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rybaltovsky, A A; Bobkov, K K; Likhachev, M E

    2013-11-30

    We have studied the photodarkening in active fibres with an ytterbium-doped phosphosilicate glass core under IR irradiation with a pump source (920 nm) and UV irradiation (193 nm). Analysis of absorption and luminescence spectra suggests that such irradiations produce phosphorus – oxygen – hole centres (P-OHCs) in the core glass network and lead to the reduction of the ytterbium ions to a divalent state (Yb{sup 2+}). The photoinduced optical loss in the fibres in the visible range (400 – 700 nm) is mainly due to absorption by the P-OHCs. A quantum-mechanical model is proposed for P-OHC and Yb{sup 2+} formation.more » (nonlinear optical phenomena)« less

  4. Experimental demonstration of the switching dose-rate method on doped optical fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, J.; Myara, M.; Troussellier, L.; Régnier, E.; Burov, E.; Gilard, O.; Sottom, M.; Signoret, P.

    2017-11-01

    Optical technology developed for ground and submarine telecommunications is becoming of strong interest for next generation satellites. In addition to inter-satellite laser communications and LIDAR's, new applications are being considered such as on-board distribution and processing of microwave signals, fiber sensors or gyroscopes as well. Whereas common optical / optoelectronic components are known to be weakly sensitive to radiations, the essential optical amplifiers are strongly degraded in such an environment because of the RIA (Radio-Induced-Absorption) experienced by the Erbium-Doped Fiber (EDF) itself [1-3]. This degradation is mainly caused by the presence of co-doping ions, such as Aluminium or Germanium, inserted in the fibre to assist the inclusion of the Erbium ions in the silica matrix or to provide to the optical fibre its guiding properties.

  5. A Review of Optical NDT Technologies

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Yong-Kai; Tian, Gui-Yun; Lu, Rong-Sheng; Zhang, Hong

    2011-01-01

    Optical non-destructive testing (NDT) has gained more and more attention in recent years, mainly because of its non-destructive imaging characteristics with high precision and sensitivity. This paper provides a review of the main optical NDT technologies, including fibre optics, electronic speckle, infrared thermography, endoscopic and terahertz technology. Among them, fibre optics features easy integration and embedding, electronic speckle focuses on whole-field high precision detection, infrared thermography has unique advantages for tests of combined materials, endoscopic technology provides images of the internal surface of the object directly, and terahertz technology opens a new direction of internal NDT because of its excellent penetration capability to most of non-metallic materials. Typical engineering applications of these technologies are illustrated, with a brief introduction of the history and discussion of recent progress. PMID:22164045

  6. Nerve injury affects the capillary supply in rat slow and fast muscles differently.

    PubMed

    Cebasek, Vita; Radochová, Barbora; Ribaric, Samo; Kubínová, Lucie; Erzen, Ida

    2006-02-01

    The goal of this study was to determine the acute effects of permanent denervation on the length density of the capillary network in rat slow soleus (SOL) and fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles and the effect of short-lasting reinnervation in slow muscle only. Denervation was performed by cutting the sciatic nerve. Both muscles were excised 2 weeks later. Reinnervation was studied 4 weeks after nerve crush in SOL muscle only. Capillaries and muscle fibres were visualised by triple immunofluorescent staining with antibodies against CD31 and laminin and with fluorescein-labelled Griffonia (Bandeira) simplicifolia lectin. A recently developed stereological approach allowing the estimation of the length of capillaries adjacent to each individual fibre (Lcap/Lfib) was employed. Three-dimensional virtual test grids were applied to stacks of optical images captured with a confocal microscope and their intersections with capillaries and muscle fibres were counted. Interrelationships among capillaries and muscle fibres were demonstrated with maximum intensity projection of the acquired stacks of optical images. The course of capillaries in EDL seemed to be parallel to the fibre axes, whereas in SOL, their preferential direction deviated from the fibre axes and formed more cross-connections among neighbouring capillaries. Lcap/Lfib was clearly reduced in denervated SOL but remained unchanged in EDL, although the muscle fibres significantly atrophied in both muscle types. When soleus muscle was reinnervated, capillary length per unit fibre length was completely restored. The physiological background for the different responses of the capillary network in slow and fast muscle is discussed.

  7. Application of microstructural optical waveguides with hollow core for enzyme immunoassay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pidenko, Pavel S.; Pidenko, Sergei A.; Burmistrova, Natalia A.; Shuvalov, Andrei A.; Chibrova, Anastasiya A.; Skibina, Yulia S.; Goryacheva, Irina Y.

    2018-04-01

    Microstructural optical waveguides with the hollow core are actively studied as a promising support for heterogeneous immunoassay in development of new optical biosensor elements for medicine and biology. Overcoming of the limitations associated with the low sorption capacity of glass used for the waveguides production is a crucial step for this assay format. In this work the possibility of silanization of microstructural optical waveguides with the hollow core using (3-glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane and their further application to enzymatic immunoassay was studied.

  8. Microstructure-mediated Optical Effects in Southern African Snakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Ishan; Alexander, Graham

    2017-03-01

    The scales of the African Viper Bitis arietans were tested for optical effects. Spectral intensity was recorded at incident angles over the visible spectrum for dark, pale, and ventral scale regions. The lowest spectral intensity recordings were associated with scales which have the greatest level of micro-structuring. Our results indicate that scale appearance in B. arietans is a product of microstructure-mediated optical effects. The optical effect may play a role in improving the ecological performance of the snake in its natural environment.

  9. Soliton radiation beat analysis of optical pulses generated from two continuous-wave lasers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zajnulina, M.; Giannone, D.; Haynes, R.

    We propose a fibre-based approach for generation of optical frequency combs (OFCs) with the aim of calibration of astronomical spectrographs in the low and medium-resolution range. This approach includes two steps: in the first step, an appropriate state of optical pulses is generated and subsequently moulded in the second step delivering the desired OFC. More precisely, the first step is realised by injection of two continuous-wave (CW) lasers into a conventional single-mode fibre, whereas the second step generates a broad OFC by using the optical solitons generated in step one as initial condition. We investigate the conversion of a bichromaticmore » input wave produced by two initial CW lasers into a train of optical solitons, which happens in the fibre used as step one. Especially, we are interested in the soliton content of the pulses created in this fibre. For that, we study different initial conditions (a single cosine-hump, an Akhmediev breather, and a deeply modulated bichromatic wave) by means of soliton radiation beat analysis and compare the results to draw conclusion about the soliton content of the state generated in the first step. In case of a deeply modulated bichromatic wave, we observed the formation of a collective soliton crystal for low input powers and the appearance of separated solitons for high input powers. An intermediate state showing the features of both, the soliton crystal and the separated solitons, turned out to be most suitable for the generation of OFC for the purpose of calibration of astronomical spectrographs.« less

  10. Soliton radiation beat analysis of optical pulses generated from two continuous-wave lasers.

    PubMed

    Zajnulina, M; Böhm, M; Blow, K; Rieznik, A A; Giannone, D; Haynes, R; Roth, M M

    2015-10-01

    We propose a fibre-based approach for generation of optical frequency combs (OFCs) with the aim of calibration of astronomical spectrographs in the low and medium-resolution range. This approach includes two steps: in the first step, an appropriate state of optical pulses is generated and subsequently moulded in the second step delivering the desired OFC. More precisely, the first step is realised by injection of two continuous-wave (CW) lasers into a conventional single-mode fibre, whereas the second step generates a broad OFC by using the optical solitons generated in step one as initial condition. We investigate the conversion of a bichromatic input wave produced by two initial CW lasers into a train of optical solitons, which happens in the fibre used as step one. Especially, we are interested in the soliton content of the pulses created in this fibre. For that, we study different initial conditions (a single cosine-hump, an Akhmediev breather, and a deeply modulated bichromatic wave) by means of soliton radiation beat analysis and compare the results to draw conclusion about the soliton content of the state generated in the first step. In case of a deeply modulated bichromatic wave, we observed the formation of a collective soliton crystal for low input powers and the appearance of separated solitons for high input powers. An intermediate state showing the features of both, the soliton crystal and the separated solitons, turned out to be most suitable for the generation of OFC for the purpose of calibration of astronomical spectrographs.

  11. Soliton radiation beat analysis of optical pulses generated from two continuous-wave lasers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zajnulina, M.; Böhm, M.; Blow, K.; Rieznik, A. A.; Giannone, D.; Haynes, R.; Roth, M. M.

    2015-10-01

    We propose a fibre-based approach for generation of optical frequency combs (OFCs) with the aim of calibration of astronomical spectrographs in the low and medium-resolution range. This approach includes two steps: in the first step, an appropriate state of optical pulses is generated and subsequently moulded in the second step delivering the desired OFC. More precisely, the first step is realised by injection of two continuous-wave (CW) lasers into a conventional single-mode fibre, whereas the second step generates a broad OFC by using the optical solitons generated in step one as initial condition. We investigate the conversion of a bichromatic input wave produced by two initial CW lasers into a train of optical solitons, which happens in the fibre used as step one. Especially, we are interested in the soliton content of the pulses created in this fibre. For that, we study different initial conditions (a single cosine-hump, an Akhmediev breather, and a deeply modulated bichromatic wave) by means of soliton radiation beat analysis and compare the results to draw conclusion about the soliton content of the state generated in the first step. In case of a deeply modulated bichromatic wave, we observed the formation of a collective soliton crystal for low input powers and the appearance of separated solitons for high input powers. An intermediate state showing the features of both, the soliton crystal and the separated solitons, turned out to be most suitable for the generation of OFC for the purpose of calibration of astronomical spectrographs.

  12. Capteur de CO{2} à fibres optiques par absorption moléculaire à 4,3 μm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bendamardji, S.; Alayli, Y.; Huard, S.

    1996-04-01

    This paper describes a remote optical fibre sensor for the carbon dioxide detection by molecular absorption in the near infrared (4.3 μm) corresponding to fundamental mode ν3. To overcome the problem of the strong attenuation signal of optical fibre in the near infrared, we have used the opto-suppling technique which changes the working wavelength from 4.3 μm to 860 nm and permits the use of standard optical fibre 50/125. The simulation of absorption has been obtained by original modelisation of the absorption spectrum and the establishment of the calibration curves takes to the sensor to detect a partial pressures greater than 100 μbar with a minimal error margin of 100 μbar, which is acceptable considering the future use of the device. The sensor has been designed to monitor the CO{2} rate in enriched greenhouses. Cet article décrit un capteur à fibres optiques de gaz carbonique par absorption moléculaire dans l'infrarouge moyen (4,3 μm) correspondant au mode fondamental ν3. La liaison entre le site de mesure et le site de contrôle est assurée par un fibre optique standard 50/125 après une transposition de longueur d'onde de 4,3 μm à 860 nm par opto-alimentation. La simulation de l'absorption a été obtenue par modélisation originale du spectre d'absorption et l'établissement des courbes d'étalonnage prévoit une marge d'erreur minimale de 100 μbar, ce qui est suffisant pour l'application du dispositif à la régulation de taux CO{2} dans les serres agricoles enrichies par de gaz.

  13. Multicore fibre technology: the road to multimode photonics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Min, Seong-Sik; Lindley, Emma; Leon-Saval, Sergio; Ellis, Simon; Lawrence, Jon; Beyrand, Nicolas; Roth, Martin; Löhmannsröben, Hans-Gerd; Veilleux, Sylvain

    2016-07-01

    For the past forty years, optical fibres have found widespread use in ground-based and space-based instruments. In most applications, these fibres are used in conjunction with conventional optics to transport light. But photonics offers a huge range of optical manipulations beyond light transport that were rarely exploited before 2001. The fundamental obstacle to the broader use of photonics is the difficulty of achieving photonic action in a multimode fibre. The first step towards a general solution was the invention of the photonic lantern1 in 2004 and the delivery of high-efficiency devices (< 1 dB loss) five years on2. Multicore fibres (MCF), used in conjunction with lanterns, are now enabling an even bigger leap towards multimode photonics. Until recently, the single-moded cores in MCFs were not sufficiently uniform to achieve telecom (SMF-28) performance. Now that high-quality MCFs have been realized, we turn our attention to printing complex functions (e.g. Bragg gratings for OH suppression) into their N cores. Our first work in this direction used a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (near-field phase mask) but this approach was only adequate for N=7 MCFs as measured by the grating uniformity3. We have now built a Sagnac interferometer that gives a three-fold increase in the depth of field sufficient to print across N >= 127 cores. We achieved first light this year with our 500mW Sabre FRED laser. These are sophisticated and complex interferometers. We report on our progress to date and summarize our first-year goals which include multimode OH suppression fibres for the Anglo-Australian Telescope/PRAXIS instrument and the Discovery Channel Telescope/MOHSIS instrument under development at the University of Maryland.

  14. Distributed optical fibre temperature measurements in a low dose rate radiation environment based on Rayleigh backscattering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faustov, A.; Gussarov, A.; Wuilpart, M.; Fotiadi, A. A.; Liokumovich, L. B.; Kotov, O. I.; Zolotovskiy, I. O.; Tomashuk, A. L.; Deschoutheete, T.; Mégret, P.

    2012-04-01

    On-line monitoring of environmental conditions in nuclear facilities is becoming a more and more important problem. Standard electronic sensors are not the ideal solution due to radiation sensitivity and difficulties in installation of multiple sensors. In contrast, radiation-hard optical fibres can sustain very high radiation doses and also naturally offer multi-point or distributed monitoring of external perturbations. Multiple local electro-mechanical sensors can be replaced by just one measuring fibre. At present, there are over four hundred operational nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the world 1. Operating experience has shown that ineffective control of the ageing degradation of major NPP components can threaten plant safety and also plant life. Among those elements, cables are vital components of I&C systems in NPPs. To ensure their safe operation and predict remaining life, environmental monitoring is necessary. In particular, temperature and radiation dose are considered to be the two most important parameters. The aim of this paper is to assess experimentally the feasibility of optical fibre temperature measurements in a low doserate radiation environment, using a commercially available reflectometer based on Rayleigh backscattering. Four different fibres were installed in the Sub-Pile Room of the BR2 Material testing nuclear reactor in Mol, Belgium. This place is man-accessible during the reactor shut-down, allowing easy fibre installation. When the reactor operates, the dose-rates in the room are in a range 0.005-5 Gy/h with temperatures of 40-60 °C, depending on the location. Such a surrounding is not much different to some "hot" environments in NPPs, where I&C cables are located.

  15. Macroscopic assembled, ultrastrong and H2SO4-resistant fibres of polymer-grafted graphene oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xiaoli; Xu, Zhen; Zheng, Bingna; Gao, Chao

    2013-11-01

    Nacre realizes strength and toughness through hierarchical designs with primary ``brick and mortar'' structures of alternative arrangement of nanoplatelets and biomacromolecules, and these have inspired the fabrication of nanocomposites for decades. However, to simultaneously solve the three critical problems of phase separation, low interfacial strength and random orientation of nanofillers for nanocomposites is a great challenge yet. Here we demonstrate that polymer-grafted graphene oxide sheets are exceptional building blocks for nanocomposites. Their liquid crystalline dispersions can be wet-spun into continuous fibres. Because of well-ordering and efficient load transfer, the composites show remarkable tensile strength (500 MPa), three to four times higher than nacre. The uniform layered microstructures and strong interlayer interactions also endow the fibres good resistance to chemicals including 98% sulfuric acid. We studied the enhancing effect of nanofillers with fraction in a whole range (0-100%), and proposed an equation to depict the relationship.

  16. UV-Enhanced Sacrificial Layer Stabilised Graphene Oxide Hollow Fibre Membranes for Nanofiltration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chong, J. Y.; Aba, N. F. D.; Wang, B.; Mattevi, C.; Li, K.

    2015-11-01

    Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have demonstrated great potential in gas separation and liquid filtration. For upscale applications, GO membranes in a hollow fibre geometry are of particular interest due to the high-efficiency and easy-assembly features at module level. However, GO membranes were found unstable in dry state on ceramic hollow fibre substrates, mainly due to the drying-related shrinkage, which has limited the applications and post-treatments of GO membranes. We demonstrate here that GO hollow fibre membranes can be stabilised by using a porous poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sacrificial layer, which creates a space between the hollow fibre substrate and the GO membrane thus allowing stress-free shrinkage. Defect-free GO hollow fibre membrane was successfully determined and the membrane was stable in a long term (1200 hours) gas-tight stability test. Post-treatment of the GO membranes with UV light was also successfully accomplished in air, which induced the creation of controlled microstructural defects in the membrane and increased the roughness factor of the membrane surface. The permeability of the UV-treated GO membranes was greatly enhanced from 0.07 to 2.8 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 for water, and 0.14 to 7.5 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 for acetone, with an unchanged low molecular weight cut off (~250 Da).

  17. Application of Fiber Optic Instrumentation (Validation des systemes d’instrumentation a fibres optiques)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-07-01

    SCI-228) Executive Summary This AGARDograph presents an introduction to fiber optic systems and is intended to provide a basic understanding of...22 / SCI-228) Synthèse Cette AGARDograph présente une introduction aux systèmes à fibres optiques et a pour objet d’expliquer l’utilisation de ces...l’instrumentation des essais en vol dans l’ensemble des pays membres de l’OTAN, entraînant la disparition progressive des jauges extensométriques et des

  18. The calculation of average error probability in a digital fibre optical communication system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rugemalira, R. A. M.

    1980-03-01

    This paper deals with the problem of determining the average error probability in a digital fibre optical communication system, in the presence of message dependent inhomogeneous non-stationary shot noise, additive Gaussian noise and intersymbol interference. A zero-forcing equalization receiver filter is considered. Three techniques for error rate evaluation are compared. The Chernoff bound and the Gram-Charlier series expansion methods are compared to the characteristic function technique. The latter predicts a higher receiver sensitivity

  19. Photo- and thermal degradation of olive oil measured using an optical fibre smartphone spectrofluorimeter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hossain, Md Arafat; Canning, John; Cook, Kevin; Ast, Sandra; Jamalipour, Abbas

    2017-04-01

    Degradation of olive oil under light and heat are analysed using an optical fibre based low-cost portable smartphone spectrofluorimeter. Visible fluorescence bands associated with phenolic acids, vitamins and chlorophyll centred at λ 452, 525 and 670 nm respectively are generated using near-UV excitation (LED λex 370 nm), of extra virgin olive oil are degraded more likely than refined olive oil under light and heat exposure. Packaging is shown to be critical when assessing the origin of degradation.

  20. Machining of Fibre Reinforced Plastic Composite Materials.

    PubMed

    Caggiano, Alessandra

    2018-03-18

    Fibre reinforced plastic composite materials are difficult to machine because of the anisotropy and inhomogeneity characterizing their microstructure and the abrasiveness of their reinforcement components. During machining, very rapid cutting tool wear development is experienced, and surface integrity damage is often produced in the machined parts. An accurate selection of the proper tool and machining conditions is therefore required, taking into account that the phenomena responsible for material removal in cutting of fibre reinforced plastic composite materials are fundamentally different from those of conventional metals and their alloys. To date, composite materials are increasingly used in several manufacturing sectors, such as the aerospace and automotive industry, and several research efforts have been spent to improve their machining processes. In the present review, the key issues that are concerning the machining of fibre reinforced plastic composite materials are discussed with reference to the main recent research works in the field, while considering both conventional and unconventional machining processes and reporting the more recent research achievements. For the different machining processes, the main results characterizing the recent research works and the trends for process developments are presented.

  1. Machining of Fibre Reinforced Plastic Composite Materials

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Fibre reinforced plastic composite materials are difficult to machine because of the anisotropy and inhomogeneity characterizing their microstructure and the abrasiveness of their reinforcement components. During machining, very rapid cutting tool wear development is experienced, and surface integrity damage is often produced in the machined parts. An accurate selection of the proper tool and machining conditions is therefore required, taking into account that the phenomena responsible for material removal in cutting of fibre reinforced plastic composite materials are fundamentally different from those of conventional metals and their alloys. To date, composite materials are increasingly used in several manufacturing sectors, such as the aerospace and automotive industry, and several research efforts have been spent to improve their machining processes. In the present review, the key issues that are concerning the machining of fibre reinforced plastic composite materials are discussed with reference to the main recent research works in the field, while considering both conventional and unconventional machining processes and reporting the more recent research achievements. For the different machining processes, the main results characterizing the recent research works and the trends for process developments are presented. PMID:29562635

  2. Efficient Second Harmonic Generation From 2-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-5-Nitroacetanilide (DAN) Crystal Cored Fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rush, James D.; Holdcroft, Geoffrey E.; Dunn, Peter L.

    1989-03-01

    The growth and characterisation of fibres containing a crystalline core of the nonlinear organic compound DAN in silica and higher refractive index capillaries is described. In addition to measuring the optical properties in transmission a method is described of measuring the sideways scatter from such fibres in order that a fuller understanding be made of factors which limit the achievement of very high SHG efficiencies.

  3. Comparison of validation methods for forming simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schug, Alexander; Kapphan, Gabriel; Bardl, Georg; Hinterhölzl, Roland; Drechsler, Klaus

    2018-05-01

    The forming simulation of fibre reinforced thermoplastics could reduce the development time and improve the forming results. But to take advantage of the full potential of the simulations it has to be ensured that the predictions for material behaviour are correct. For that reason, a thorough validation of the material model has to be conducted after characterising the material. Relevant aspects for the validation of the simulation are for example the outer contour, the occurrence of defects and the fibre paths. To measure these features various methods are available. Most relevant and also most difficult to measure are the emerging fibre orientations. For that reason, the focus of this study was on measuring this feature. The aim was to give an overview of the properties of different measuring systems and select the most promising systems for a comparison survey. Selected were an optical, an eddy current and a computer-assisted tomography system with the focus on measuring the fibre orientations. Different formed 3D parts made of unidirectional glass fibre and carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastics were measured. Advantages and disadvantages of the tested systems were revealed. Optical measurement systems are easy to use, but are limited to the surface plies. With an eddy current system also lower plies can be measured, but it is only suitable for carbon fibres. Using a computer-assisted tomography system all plies can be measured, but the system is limited to small parts and challenging to evaluate.

  4. Novel technique for solar power illumination using plastic optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Munisami, J.; Kalymnios, D.

    2008-09-01

    Plastic Optical Fibres (POF) were developed almost 3 decades ago. They are mainly used for short haul data communications (up to 1 km with data rates up to 1 Gbps). Over the years, POF has found applications in many other areas including solar energy transport for illumination. In such an application, light is collected from the sun and is directed into a space which needs to be illuminated. The use of fibres and more specifically POF, in daylighting systems, started only a few years ago. Several approaches have been investigated and we have seen the development of a few commercial products. The market however, has not really taken off for these technologies simply because of their enormous price tags. It is important to note that the use of POF in these designs has been limited to the function of POF as the transmission medium only. We propose a novel solar illumination technique using POF as both the light collecting/concentrating mechanism and the transmission medium. By modifying the structure of the fibre, solar light can be directed into the fibre by using an analogous process to fibre side emission but, in the reverse. We shall report on the solar light capturing efficiency of POF as modified by several types of external imperfections introduced onto the fibre. One major advantage of our proposed approach lies in the fact that we aim to eliminate at least one of the two axes of sun tracking that is currently used in existing solar illumination systems.

  5. Opto-mechanical design of a buckling cavity in a novel high-performance outside-plant robust field installable single-mode fibre connector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebraert, Evert; Van Erps, Jürgen; Beri, Stefano; Watté, Jan; Thienpont, Hugo

    2014-05-01

    Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks provide an ideal means to reach the goal the European Union has set to provide 50 % of the households with a broadband connection faster than 100 Mb/s. Deployment of FTTH networks, which is still costly today, could be significantly boosted by novel ferrule-less connectors which don't require highly skilled personnel and allow installation in the field. We propose a ferrule-less connector in which two single-mode fibres (SMFs) are aligned and maintain physical contact by ensuring that at least one fibre is in a buckled state. To this end, we design a cavity in which a fibre can buckle in a controlled way. Using finite element analysis simulations to investigate the shape of the formed buckle for various buckling cavity lengths, we show that it can be accurately approximated by a cosine function. In addition, the optical performance of a buckled SMF is investigated by bending loss calculations and simulations. We show a good agreement between the analytical and the simulated bending loss results for a G.652 fibre at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Buckling cavity lengths smaller than 20 mm should be avoided to keep the optical bending loss due to buckling below 0.1 dB. In this case the cavity height should at least be 2 mm to avoid mechanical confinement of the fibre.

  6. Fiber-optic voltage measuring system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Miaoyuan; Nie, De-Xin; Li, Yan; Peng, Yu; Lin, Qi-Qing; Wang, Jing-Gang

    1993-09-01

    A new fibre optic voltage measuring system has been developed based on the electrooptic effect of bismuth germanium oxide (Bi4Ge3O12)crystal. It uses the LED as the light source. The light beam emitted from the light source is transmitted to the sensor through the optic fibre and the intensity of the output beam is changed by the applied voltage. This optic signal is transmitted to the PIN detector and converted to an electric signal which is processed by the electronic circuit and 8098 single chip microcomputer the output voltage signal obtained is directly proportional to the applied voltage. This paper describes the principle the configuration and the performance parameters of the system. Test results are evaluated and discussed.

  7. Plastic optical fibre sensor for quality control in food industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novo, C.; Bilro, L.; Ferreira, R.; Alberto, N.; Antunes, P.; Leitão, C.; Nogueira, R.; Pinto, J. L.

    2013-05-01

    The present work addresses the need for new devices felt in the context of quality control, especially in the food industry. Due to the spectral dependence of the attenuation coefficient, a novel dual-parameter sensor for colour and refractive index was developed and tested. The sensor employs plastic optical fibres to measure the transmitted optical power in three measurement cells each with a different incident wavelength. The performance of the sensor was tested using several dyes at different concentrations and aqueous solutions of glycerine and ethanol. Results show that this technique allows the monitoring of refractive index and colour without cross-sensitivity.

  8. Fibre multi-wave mixing combs reveal the broken symmetry of Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mussot, Arnaud; Naveau, Corentin; Conforti, Matteo; Kudlinski, Alexandre; Copie, Francois; Szriftgiser, Pascal; Trillo, Stefano

    2018-05-01

    In optical fibres, weak modulations can grow at the expense of a strong pump to form a triangular comb of sideband pairs, until the process is reversed. Repeated cycles of such conversion and back-conversion constitute a manifestation of the universal nonlinear phenomenon known as Fermi-Pasta-Ulam recurrence. However, it remains a major challenge to observe the coexistence of different types of recurrences owing to the spontaneous symmetry-breaking nature of such a phenomenon. Here, we implement a novel non-destructive technique that allows the evolution in amplitude and phase of frequency modes to be reconstructed via post-processing of the fibre backscattered light. We clearly observe how control of the input modulation seed results in different recursive behaviours emerging from the phase-space structure dictated by the spontaneously broken symmetry. The proposed technique is an important tool to characterize other mixing processes and new regimes of rogue-wave formation and wave turbulence in fibre optics.

  9. Hydrodynamic effects in laser cutting of biological tissue phantoms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhigarkov, V. S.; Yusupov, V. I.; Tsypina, S. I.; Bagratashvili, V. N.

    2017-11-01

    We study the thermal and transport processes that occur in the course of incision formation at the surface of a biological tissue phantom under the action of near-IR, moderate-power, continuous-wave laser radiation (λ = 1.94 μm) delivered by means of an optical fibre with an absorbing coating on its exit face. It is shown that in addition to the thermal effect, the laser-induced hydrodynamic effects caused by the explosive boiling of the interstitial water make a large contribution to the phantom destruction mechanism. These effects lead to the tissue rupture accompanied by the ejection of part of the fragmented substance from the site of laser impact and the formation of highly porous structure near the incision surface. We have found that the depth, the width and the relief of the laser incision wall in the case of using the optical fibre moving with a constant velocity, depend on the fibre tilt angle with respect to the phantom surface, as well as the direction of the fibre motion.

  10. On-line monitoring of multi-component strain development in a tufting needle using optical fibre Bragg grating sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chehura, Edmon; Dell'Anno, Giuseppe; Huet, Tristan; Staines, Stephen; James, Stephen W.; Partridge, Ivana K.; Tatam, Ralph P.

    2014-07-01

    Dynamic loadings induced on a tufting needle during the tufting of dry carbon fibre preform via a commercial robot-controlled tufting head were investigated in situ and in real-time using optical fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors bonded to the needle shaft. The sensors were configured such that the axial strain and bending moments experienced by the needle could be measured. A study of the influence of thread and thread type on the strain imparted to the needle revealed axial strain profiles which had equivalent trends but different magnitudes. The mean of the maximum axial compression strains measured during the tufting of a 4-ply quasi-isotropic carbon fibre dry preform were - 499 ± 79 μɛ, - 463 ± 51 μɛ and - 431 ± 59 μɛ for a needle without thread, with metal wire and with Kevlar® thread, respectively. The needle similarly exhibited bending moments of different magnitude when the different needle feeding configurations were used.

  11. Step-index all-silica fibres with enhanced transmission in a broad spectral range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boucher, Didier

    There are three primary fibre optics properties of concern for astronomical spectroscopic applications: FRD (Focal Ratio Degradation), the extent to which the transmitting fibre preserves the input focal ratio especially under stress, torsion at measuring temperatures (-15C to +30C); image scrambling where fibres eliminate part of instabilities induced by seeing and tracking errors by removing the spatial variability of the stellar image pushing velocity measurements; the best transparency possible from the atmospheric cut-off at 300 nm to the sensitivity drop-off of CCD detectors at about 1000 nm.

  12. Long-period fibre grating writing with a slit-apertured femtosecond laser beam (λ = 1026 nm)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dostovalov, A V; Wolf, A A; Babin, S A

    We report on long-period grating (LPG) writing in a standard telecom fibre, SMF-28e+, via refractive index modification by femtosecond pulses. A method is proposed for grating writing with a slit-apertured beam, which enables one to produce LPGs with reduced background losses and a resonance peak markedly stronger than that in the case of grating writing with a Gaussian beam. The method can be used to fabricate LPGs for use as spectral filters of fibre lasers and sensing elements of sensor systems. (fibre and integrated-optical structures)

  13. Electrical crosstalk-coupling measurement and analysis for digital closed loop fibre optic gyro

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, Jing; Tian, Hai-Ting; Pan, Xiong; Song, Ning-Fang

    2010-03-01

    The phase modulation and the closed-loop controller can generate electrical crosstalk-coupling in digital closed-loop fibre optic gyro. Four electrical cross-coupling paths are verified by the open-loop testing approach. It is found the variation of ramp amplitude will lead to the alternation of gyro bias. The amplitude and the phase parameters of the electrical crosstalk signal are measured by lock-in amplifier, and the variation of gyro bias is confirmed to be caused by the alternation of phase according to the amplitude of the ramp. A digital closed-loop fibre optic gyro electrical crosstalk-coupling model is built by approximating the electrical cross-coupling paths as a proportion and integration segment. The results of simulation and experiment show that the modulation signal electrical crosstalk-coupling can cause the dead zone of the gyro when a small angular velocity is inputted, and it could also lead to a periodic vibration of the bias error of the gyro when a large angular velocity is inputted.

  14. Temperature profiles measurements in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection by optical fibre system at the Barrel of II-menau

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drahotský, Jakub; Hanzelka, Pavel; Musilová, Věra; Macek, Michal; du Puits, Ronald; Urban, Pavel

    2018-06-01

    Modelling of large-scale natural (thermally-generated) turbulent flows (such as the turbulent convection in Earth's atmosphere, oceans, or Sun) is approached in laboratory experiments in the simplified model system called the Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC). We present preliminary measurements of vertical temperature profiles in the cell with the height of 4:7 m, 7:15m in diameter, obtained at the Barrel of Ilmenau (BOI), the worldwide largest experimental setup to study highly turbulent RBC, newly equipped with the Luna ODiSI-B optical fibre system. In our configuration, the system permits to measure the temperature with a high spatial resolution of 5mm along a very thin glass optical fibre with the length of 5m and seems to be perfectly suited for measurement of time series of instantaneous vertical temperature profiles. The system was supplemented with the two Pt100 vertically movable probes specially designed by us for reference temperature profiles measurements.

  15. Ultrasensitive plasmonic sensing in air using optical fibre spectral combs

    PubMed Central

    Caucheteur, Christophe; Guo, Tuan; Liu, Fu; Guan, Bai-Ou; Albert, Jacques

    2016-01-01

    Surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) can be excited on metal-coated optical fibres, enabling the accurate monitoring of refractive index changes. Configurations reported so far mainly operate in liquids but not in air because of a mismatch between permittivities of guided light modes and the surrounding medium. Here we demonstrate a plasmonic optical fibre platform that overcomes this limitation. The underpinning of our work is a grating architecture—a gold-coated highly tilted Bragg grating—that excites a spectral comb of narrowband-cladding modes with effective indices near 1.0 and below. Using conventional spectral interrogation, we measure shifts of the SPP-matched resonances in response to static atmospheric pressure changes. A dynamic experiment conducted using a laser lined-up with an SPP-matched resonance demonstrates the ability to detect an acoustic wave with a resolution of 10−8 refractive index unit (RIU). We believe that this configuration opens research directions for highly sensitive plasmonic sensing in gas. PMID:27834366

  16. High-speed ADC and DAC modules with fibre optic interconnections for telecom satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heikkinen, Veli; Juntunen, Eveliina; Karppinen, Mikko; Kautio, Kari; Ollila, Jyrki; Sitomaniemi, Aila; Tanskanen, Antti; Casey, Rory; Scott, Shane; Gachon, Hélène; Sotom, Michel; Venet, Norbert; Toivonen, Jaakko; Tuominen, Taisto; Karafolas, Nikos

    2017-11-01

    The flexibility required for future telecom payloads calls for the introduction of more and more digital processing capabilities. Aggregate data throughputs of several Tbps will have to be handled onboard, thus creating the need for effective, ADCDSP and DACDSP highspeed links. ADC and DAC modules with optical interconnections is an attractive option as it can solve easily the transmission and routing of the expected huge amount of data. This technique will enable to increase the bandwidth and/or the number of beams/channels to be treated, or to support advanced digital processing architectures including beam forming. We realised electrooptic ADC and DAC modules containing an 8 bit, 2 GSa/s A/D converter and a 12 bit, 2 GSa/s D/A converter. The 4channel parallel fibre optic link employs 850nm VCSELs and GaAs PIN photodiodes coupled to 50/125μm fibre ribbon cable. ADCDSP and DSPDAC links both have an aggregate data rate of 25 Gbps. The paper presents the current status of this development.

  17. Direct optical activation of skeletal muscle fibres efficiently controls muscle contraction and attenuates denervation atrophy

    PubMed Central

    Magown, Philippe; Shettar, Basavaraj; Zhang, Ying; Rafuse, Victor F.

    2015-01-01

    Neural prostheses can restore meaningful function to paralysed muscles by electrically stimulating innervating motor axons, but fail when muscles are completely denervated, as seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or after a peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury. Here we show that channelrhodopsin-2 is expressed within the sarcolemma and T-tubules of skeletal muscle fibres in transgenic mice. This expression pattern allows for optical control of muscle contraction with comparable forces to nerve stimulation. Force can be controlled by varying light pulse intensity, duration or frequency. Light-stimulated muscle fibres depolarize proportionally to light intensity and duration. Denervated triceps surae muscles transcutaneously stimulated optically on a daily basis for 10 days show a significant attenuation in atrophy resulting in significantly greater contractile forces compared with chronically denervated muscles. Together, this study shows that channelrhodopsin-2/H134R can be used to restore function to permanently denervated muscles and reduce pathophysiological changes associated with denervation pathologies. PMID:26460719

  18. Neuroticism is linked to microstructural left-right asymmetry of fronto-limbic fibre tracts in adolescents with opposite effects in boys and girls.

    PubMed

    Madsen, Kathrine Skak; Jernigan, Terry L; Vestergaard, Martin; Mortensen, Erik Lykke; Baaré, William F C

    2018-06-01

    Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait that reflects a tendency to experience heightened negative affect and susceptibility to stress. Negative emotionality has been associated with fronto-limbic brain structures and connecting fibre tracts. The major fibre tracts connecting the frontal and limbic brain regions are the cingulum bundle and uncinate fasciculus. We previously found that healthy adults with higher neuroticism scores had decreased left relative to right fractional anisotropy (FA) of the cingulum. Both cingulum and uncinate fasciculus FA increases throughout childhood and into early adulthood. Since adolescence is associated with an increased incidence of anxiety and mood disorders, for which neuroticism is a known risk factor, the question arises whether the association between neuroticism and fronto-limbic white matter microstructure asymmetry is already present in children and adolescents or whether such relationship emerges during this age period. To address this question, we assessed 72 typically-developing 10-to-15 year-olds with diffusion-weighted imaging on a 3 T magnetic resonance scanner. Neuroticism was assessed with the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. FA and parallel and perpendicular diffusivity measures were extracted for cingulum, uncinate fasciculus as well as the white matter underlying the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Higher neuroticism scores were associated with decreased left relative to right cingulum FA in boys, while in girls, higher neuroticism scores were associated with increased left relative to right cingulum and ventromedial prefrontal white matter FA, indicating that there are sex differences in the neural correlates of neuroticism. Our findings suggest that the link between neuroticism and frontal-limbic white matter microstructure asymmetry likely predates early adolescence. Future studies need to elucidate the significance of the observed sex differences in the neural correlates of neuroticism. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Multi-gigabit optical interconnects for next-generation on-board digital equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venet, Norbert; Favaro, Henri; Sotom, Michel; Maignan, Michel; Berthon, Jacques

    2017-11-01

    Parallel optical interconnects are experimentally assessed as a technology that may offer the high-throughput data communication capabilities required to the next-generation on-board digital processing units. An optical backplane interconnect was breadboarded, on the basis of a digital transparent processor that provides flexible connectivity and variable bandwidth in telecom missions with multi-beam antenna coverage. The unit selected for the demonstration required that more than tens of Gbit/s be supported by the backplane. The demonstration made use of commercial parallel optical link modules at 850 nm wavelength, with 12 channels running at up to 2.5 Gbit/s. A flexible optical fibre circuit was developed so as to route board-to-board connections. It was plugged to the optical transmitter and receiver modules through 12-fibre MPO connectors. BER below 10-14 and optical link budgets in excess of 12 dB were measured, which would enable to integrate broadcasting. Integration of the optical backplane interconnect was successfully demonstrated by validating the overall digital processor functionality.

  20. Multi-gigabit optical interconnects for next-generation on-board digital equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Venet, Norbert; Favaro, Henri; Sotom, Michel; Maignan, Michel; Berthon, Jacques

    2004-06-01

    Parallel optical interconnects are experimentally assessed as a technology that may offer the high-throughput data communication capabilities required to the next-generation on-board digital processing units. An optical backplane interconnect was breadboarded, on the basis of a digital transparent processor that provides flexible connectivity and variable bandwidth in telecom missions with multi-beam antenna coverage. The unit selected for the demonstration required that more than tens of Gbit/s be supported by the backplane. The demonstration made use of commercial parallel optical link modules at 850 nm wavelength, with 12 channels running at up to 2.5 Gbit/s. A flexible optical fibre circuit was developed so as to route board-to-board connections. It was plugged to the optical transmitter and receiver modules through 12-fibre MPO connectors. BER below 10-14 and optical link budgets in excess of 12 dB were measured, which would enable to integrate broadcasting. Integration of the optical backplane interconnect was successfully demonstrated by validating the overall digital processor functionality.

  1. In vitro degradation of a 3D porous Pennisetum purpureum/PLA biocomposite scaffold.

    PubMed

    Revati, R; Majid, M S Abdul; Ridzuan, M J M; Basaruddin, K S; Rahman Y, M N; Cheng, E M; Gibson, A G

    2017-10-01

    The in vitro degradation and mechanical properties of a 3D porous Pennisetum purpureum (PP)/polylactic acid (PLA)-based scaffold were investigated. In this study, composite scaffolds with PP to PLA ratios of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% were immersed in a PBS solution at 37°C for 40 days. Compression tests were conducted to evaluate the compressive strength and modulus of the scaffolds, according to ASTM F451-95. The compression strength of the scaffolds was found to increase from 1.94 to 9.32MPa, while the compressive modulus increased from 1.73 to 5.25MPa as the fillers' content increased from 0wt% to 30wt%. Moreover, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction were employed to observe and analyse the microstructure and fibre-matrix interface. Interestingly, the degradation rate was reduced for the PLA/PP 20 scaffold, though insignificantly, this could be attributed to the improved mechanical properties and stronger fibre-matrix interface. Microstructure changes after degradation were observed using FESEM. The FESEM results indicated that a strong fibre-matrix interface was formed in the PLA/PP 20 scaffold, which reflected the addition of P. purpureum into PLA decreasing the degradation rate compared to in pure PLA scaffolds. The results suggest that the P. purpureum/PLA scaffold degradation rate can be altered and controlled to meet requirements imposed by a given tissue engineering application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Optical fibre sensing: a solution for industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, T.; Fabian, M.; Chen, Y.; Vidakovic, M.; Javdani, S.; Grattan, K. T. V.; Carlton, J.; Gerada, C.; Brun, L.

    2017-04-01

    Optical fibres have been explored widely for their sensing capability to meet increasing industrial needs, building on their success in telecommunications. This paper provides a review of research activities at City University of London in response to industrial challenges through the development of a range of fibre Bragg grating (FBG)-based sensors for transportation structural monitoring. For marine propellers, arrays of FBGs mapped onto the surface of propeller blades allow for capturing vibrational modes, with reference to simulation data. The research funded by EU Cleansky programme enables the development of self-sensing electric motor drives to support `More Electric Aircraft' concept. The partnership with Faiveley Brecknell Willis in the UK enables the integration of FBG sensors into the railway current-collecting pantographs for real-time condition monitoring when they are operating under 25kV conditions.

  3. From conventional sensors to fibre optic sensors for strain and force measurements in biomechanics applications: a review.

    PubMed

    Roriz, Paulo; Carvalho, Lídia; Frazão, Orlando; Santos, José Luís; Simões, José António

    2014-04-11

    In vivo measurement, not only in animals but also in humans, is a demanding task and is the ultimate goal in experimental biomechanics. For that purpose, measurements in vivo must be performed, under physiological conditions, to obtain a database and contribute for the development of analytical models, used to describe human biomechanics. The knowledge and control of the mechanisms involved in biomechanics will allow the optimization of the performance in different topics like in clinical procedures and rehabilitation, medical devices and sports, among others. Strain gages were first applied to bone in a live animal in 40's and in 80's for the first time were applied fibre optic sensors to perform in vivo measurements of Achilles tendon forces in man. Fibre optic sensors proven to have advantages compare to conventional sensors and a great potential for biomechanical and biomedical applications. Compared to them, they are smaller, easier to implement, minimally invasive, with lower risk of infection, highly accurate, well correlated, inexpensive and multiplexable. The aim of this review article is to give an overview about the evolution of the experimental techniques applied in biomechanics, from conventional to fibre optic sensors. In the next sections the most relevant contributions of these sensors, for strain and force in biomechanical applications, will be presented. Emphasis was given to report of in vivo experiments and clinical applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Viscous propulsion in active transversely isotropic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cupples, Gemma; Dyson, Rosemary; Smith, David

    2017-11-01

    Taylor's swimming sheet is a classical model of microscale propulsion and pumping. Many biological fluids and substances are fibrous, having a preferred direction in their microstructure; for example cervical mucus. To understand how these effects modify viscous propulsion, we extend Taylor's classical model of small-amplitude viscous propulsion of a `swimming sheet' via the transversely-isotropic fluid model of Ericksen, which is linear in strain rate and possesses a distinguished direction. The energetic costs of swimming are significantly altered by all rheological parameters and the initial fibre angle. Propulsion in a passive transversely-isotropic fluid enhances mean rate of working, independent of the initial fibre orientation. In this regime the mean swimming velocity is unchanged from the Newtonian case. The effect of fibre tension, or alternatively a stresslet characterising an active fluid, is also considered. This stress introduces an angular dependence and dramatically changes the streamlines and flow field; fibres aligned with the swimming direction increase the energetic demands of the sheet. The constant fibre stress may result in a reversal of the mean swimming velocity and a negative mean rate of working if sufficiently large relative to the other parameters. Funding is provided by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Industrial CASE Studentship (BB/L015587/1).

  5. Alterations of the outer retina in non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy detected using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

    PubMed

    Ackermann, Philipp; Brachert, Maike; Albrecht, Philipp; Ringelstein, Marius; Finis, David; Geerling, Gerd; Aktas, Orhan; Guthoff, Rainer

    2017-07-01

    A characteristic disease pattern may be reflected by retinal layer thickness changes in non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy measured using spectraldomain optical coherence tomography. Retinal layer segmentation is enabled by advanced software. In this study, retinal layer thicknesses in acute and chronic non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy were compared. A single-centre cross-sectional analysis was used. A total of 27 patients (20 age-matched healthy eyes) were included: 14 with acute (<7 days) and 13 patients with chronic non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. Macular volume and 12° peripapillary ring optical coherence tomography scans were used. The peripapillary thicknesses of the following layers were determined by manual segmentation: retinal nerve fibres, ganglion cells + inner plexiform layer, inner nuclear layer + outer plexiform layer, outer nuclear layer + inner segments of the photoreceptors and outer segments of the photoreceptors to Bruch's membrane. Macular retinal layer thicknesses were automatically determined in volume cubes centred on the fovea. Peripapillary retinal swelling in acute nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy was attributable to retinal nerve fibre layer, ganglion cell layer/inner plexiform layer and outer nuclear layer/segments of the photoreceptors thickening. In chronic cases, peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer, macular ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer thinning were observed. In acute non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, the inner and outer peripapillary retinal layers are affected by thickness changes. In chronic cases, atrophy of the ganglion cells and their axons and dendrites is evident by inner retinal layer thinning. © 2017 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

  6. Low temperature and UV curable sol-gel coatings for long lasting optical fiber biosensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Otaduy, D.; Villar, A.; Gomez-Herrero, E.; Goitandia, A. M.; Gorritxategi, E.; Quintana, I.

    2010-04-01

    The use of optical fibers as sensing element is increasing in clinical, pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Excellent light delivery, long interaction length, low cost and ability not only to excite the target molecules but also to capture the emitted light from the targets are the hallmarks of optical fiber as biosensors. In biosensors based on fiber optics the interaction with the analyte can occur within an element of the optical fiber. One of the techniques for this kind of biosensors is to remove the fiber optic cladding and substitute it for biological coatings that will interact with the parameter to sensorize. The deposition of these layers can be made by sol-gel technology. The sol-gel technology is being increasingly used mainly due to the high versatility to tailor their optical features. Incorporation of suitable chemical and biochemical sensing agents have allowed determining pH, gases, and biochemical species, among others. Nonetheless, the relatively high processing temperatures and short lifetime values mean severe drawbacks for a successful exploitation of sol-gel based coated optical fibres. With regard to the latter, herein we present the design, preparation and characterization of novel sol-gel coated optical fibres. Low temperature and UV curable coating formulations were optimized to achieve a good adhesion and optical performance. The UV photopolymerizable formulation was comprised by glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GLYMO), Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and an initiator. While the thermoset coating was prepared by using 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, GLYMO, and TEOS as main reagents. Both curable sol-gel coated fibres were analysed by FTIR, SEM and optical characterization. Furthermore, in the present work a new technique for silica cladding removal has been developed by ultra-short pulses laser processing, getting good dimensional accuracy and surface integrity.

  7. Applying Fibre-Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing to Near-surface Temperature Dynamics of Broadacre Cereals During Radiant Frost Events.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stutsel, B.; Callow, J. N.

    2017-12-01

    Radiant frost events, particularly those during the reproductive stage of winter cereal growth, cost growers millions of dollars in lost yield. Whilst synoptic drivers of frost and factors influencing temperature variation at the landscape scale are relatively well understood, there is a lack of knowledge surrounding small-scale temperature dynamics within paddocks and plot trials. Other work has also suggested a potential significant temperature gradient (several degrees) vertically from ground to canopy, but this is poorly constrained experimentally. Subtle changes in temperature are important as frost damage generally occurs in a very narrow temperature range (-2 to -5°C). Once a variety's damage threshold is reached, a 1°C difference in minimum temperature can increase damage from 10 to 90%. This study applies Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) using fibre optics to understand how minimum temperature evolves during a radiant frost. DTS assesses the difference in attenuation of Raman scattering of a light pulse travelling along a fibre optic cable to measure temperature. A bend insensitive multimode fibre was deployed in a double ended duplex configuration as a "fence" run through four times of sowing at a trial site in the Western Australian Wheatbelt. The fibre optic fence was 160m long and 800mm tall with the fibre optic cable spaced 100mm apart vertically, and calibrated in ambient water ( 10 to 15oC) and a chilled glycol ( -8 to-10 oC) baths. The temperature measurements had a spatial resolution of 0.65m and temporal resolution of 60s, providing 2,215 measurements every minute. The results of this study inform our understanding of the subtle temperature changes from the soil to canopy, providing new insight into how to place traditional temperature loggers to monitor frost damage. It also addresses questions of within-trial temperature variability, and provides an example of how novel techniques such as DTS can be used to improve the way temperature (frost) is incorporated in crop damage models. This data set provided by DTS allows a level of detail that is not possible to record with traditional temperature loggers and shows how this emerging technology can be applied to agricultural applications. This research was supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation National Frost Initiative.

  8. Photoacoustic endoscopy probe using a coherent fibre-optic bundle and Fabry-Pérot ultrasound sensor (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ansari, Rehman; Beard, Paul C.; Zhang, Edward Z.; Desjardins, Adrien E.

    2016-03-01

    There is considerable interest in the development of photoacoustic endoscopy (PAE) probes for the clinical assessment of pathologies in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, guiding minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries and applications in foetal medicine. However, most previous PAE probes integrate mechanical scanners and piezoelectric transducers at the distal end which can be technically complex, expensive and pose challenges in achieving the necessary level of miniaturisation. We present two novel all-optical forward-viewing endoscopic probes operating in widefield tomography mode that have the potential to overcome these limitations. In one configuration, the probe comprises a transparent 40 MHz Fabry-Pérot ultrasound sensor deposited at the tip of a rigid, 3 mm diameter coherent fibre-optic bundle. In this way, the distal end of coherent fibre bundle acts as a 2D array of wideband ultrasound detectors. In another configuration, an optical relay is used between the distal end face of flexible fibre bundle and the Fabry-Pérot sensor to enlarge the lateral field of view to 6 mm x 6 mm. In both configurations, the pulsed excitation laser beam is full-field coupled into the fibre bundle at the proximal end for uniform backward-mode illumination of the tissue at the probe tip. In order to record the photoacoustic waves arriving at the probe tip, the proximal end of the fibre bundle is optically scanned in 2D with a CW wavelength-tunable interrogation laser beam thereby interrogating different spatial points on the sensor. A time-reversal image reconstruction algorithm was used to reconstruct a 3D image from the detected signals. The 3D field of view of the flexible PAE probe is 6 mm x 6 mm x 6 mm and the axial and lateral spatial resolution is 30 µm and 90 µm, respectively. 3D imaging capability is demonstrated using tissue phantoms, ex vivo tissues and in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first forward-viewing implementation of a photoacoustic endoscopy probe, and it offers several advantages over previous distal-end scanning probes. These include a high degree of miniaturisation, no moving parts at the distal end and simple and inexpensive fabrication with the potential to realise disposable probes for clinical imaging of the GI tract and other minimally invasive applications.

  9. Fibre Optic Temperature Sensors Using Fluorescent Phenomena.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selli, Raman Kumar

    Available from UMI in association with The British Library. A number of fibre optic sensors based on fluorescent phenomena using low cost electronic and optical filtering techniques, for temperature sensing applications are described and discussed. The initial device developed uses the absorption edge change of an optical glass to monitor changes in temperature with a second wavelength reference channel being generated from a fluorescent material, neodymium doped in glass. This device demonstrates the working of the self-referencing principle in a practical device tested over the temperature range of -60^circ C to 200^circC. This initial device was improved by incorporating a microprocessor and by modifying the processing electronic circuitry. An alternative probe was constructed which used a second fibre placed along-side the addressing fibre in contrast to the original device where the fibre is placed at the opposite end of the addressing fibre. A device based on the same principle but with different absorption glasses and a different fluorescent medium, crystalline ruby, was also examined. This device operated at a lower wavelength region compared to the infra -red working region of the first device. This work illustrated the need to make an appropriate choice of sensor absorption glass so that the cheaper indicator type LEDs, which operated at lower wavelengths, may be used. Ruby is a fluorescent material which is characterized by each emission wavelength having its own temperature characteristics. The integrated energy output over the complete emission spectrum is independent of temperature. This provided a means of generating a reference from the complete spectrum while a small frequency band gave a temperature dependent output. This characteristic of ruby was used to develop a temperature measuring device. A final system which utilises the temperature dependent decay-time emission properties of crystalline ruby was developed. In this case the ruby was excited by sinusoidally modulated light. This system employs a single indicator type green LED to excite the ruby sample and a single very sensitive silicon photodiode detector with an integral amplifier for low optical signal detection. Both of these components were inexpensive. The system yielded very high performance levels in terms of precision and resolution which has the potential for commercial exploitation. The different devices developed are compared and contrasted in the light of the commercial instruments on the market and other published data.

  10. High-Precision Distribution of Highly Stable Optical Pulse Trains with 8.8 × 10−19 instability

    PubMed Central

    Ning, B.; Zhang, S. Y.; Hou, D.; Wu, J. T.; Li, Z. B.; Zhao, J. Y.

    2014-01-01

    The high-precision distribution of optical pulse trains via fibre links has had a considerable impact in many fields. In most published work, the accuracy is still fundamentally limited by unavoidable noise sources, such as thermal and shot noise from conventional photodiodes and thermal noise from mixers. Here, we demonstrate a new high-precision timing distribution system that uses a highly precise phase detector to obviously reduce the effect of these limitations. Instead of using photodiodes and microwave mixers, we use several fibre Sagnac-loop-based optical-microwave phase detectors (OM-PDs) to achieve optical-electrical conversion and phase measurements, thereby suppressing the sources of noise and achieving ultra-high accuracy. The results of a distribution experiment using a 10-km fibre link indicate that our system exhibits a residual instability of 2.0 × 10−15 at1 s and8.8 × 10−19 at 40,000 s and an integrated timing jitter as low as 3.8 fs in a bandwidth of 1 Hz to 100 kHz. This low instability and timing jitter make it possible for our system to be used in the distribution of optical-clock signals or in applications that require extremely accurate frequency/time synchronisation. PMID:24870442

  11. A Micro-Electrode Array device coupled to a laser-based system for the local stimulation of neurons by optical release of glutamate.

    PubMed

    Ghezzi, Diego; Menegon, Andrea; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Valtorta, Flavia; Ferrigno, Giancarlo

    2008-10-30

    Optical stimulation is a promising approach to investigate the local dynamic responses of cultured neurons. In particular, flash photolysis of caged compounds offers the advantage of allowing the rapid change of concentration of either extracellular or intracellular molecules, such as neurotransmitters or second messengers, for the stimulation or modulation of neuronal activity. We describe here the use of an ultra-violet (UV) laser diode coupled to an optical fibre for the local activation of caged compounds combined with a Micro-Electrode Array (MEA) device. Local uncaging was achieved by UV irradiation through the optical fibre previously positioned by using a red laser diode. The size of the stimulation was determined using caged fluorescein, whereas its efficacy was tested by studying the effect of uncaging the neurotransmitter glutamate. Uncaged glutamate evoked neuronal responses that were recorded using either fluorescence measurements or electrophysiological recordings with MEAs, thus showing the ability of our system to induce local neuronal excitation. This method allows overcoming the limitations of the MEA system related to unfocused electrical stimulation and induction of electrical artefacts. In addition, the coupling of a UV laser diode to an optical fibre allows a precise local stimulation and a quick change of the stimulation point.

  12. Higher order microfibre modes for dielectric particle trapping and propulsion

    PubMed Central

    Maimaiti, Aili; Truong, Viet Giang; Sergides, Marios; Gusachenko, Ivan; Nic Chormaic, Síle

    2015-01-01

    Optical manipulation in the vicinity of optical micro- and nanofibres has shown potential across several fields in recent years, including microparticle control, and cold atom probing and trapping. To date, most work has focussed on the propagation of the fundamental mode through the fibre. However, along the maximum mode intensity axis, higher order modes have a longer evanescent field extension and larger field amplitude at the fibre waist compared to the fundamental mode, opening up new possibilities for optical manipulation and particle trapping. We demonstrate a microfibre/optical tweezers compact system for trapping and propelling dielectric particles based on the excitation of the first group of higher order modes at the fibre waist. Speed enhancement of polystyrene particle propulsion was observed for the higher order modes compared to the fundamental mode for particles ranging from 1 μm to 5 μm in diameter. The optical propelling velocity of a single, 3 μm polystyrene particle was found to be 8 times faster under the higher order mode than the fundamental mode field for a waist power of 25 mW. Experimental data are supported by theoretical calculations. This work can be extended to trapping and manipulation of laser-cooled atoms with potential for quantum networks. PMID:25766925

  13. Optical gateway for intelligent buildings: a new open-up window to the optical fibre sensors market?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez-Valdivielso, Carlos; Matias, Ignacio R.; Arregui, Francisco J.; Bariain, Candido; Lopez-Amo, Manuel

    2004-06-01

    This paper presents the first optical fiber sensor gateway for integrating these special measurement devices in Home Automation Systems, concretely in those buildings that use the KNX European Intelligent Buildings Standard.

  14. Micromanipulation and microfabrication for optical microrobotics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palima, Darwin; Bañas, Andrew Rafael; Vizsnyiczai, Gaszton; Kelemen, Lóránd; Aabo, Thomas; Ormos, Pál.; Glückstad, Jesper

    2012-10-01

    Robotics can use optics feedback in vision-based control of intelligent robotic guidance systems. With light's miniscule momentum, shrinking robots down to the microscale regime creates opportunities for exploiting optical forces and torques in microrobotic actuation and control. Indeed, the literature on optical trapping and micromanipulation attests to the possibilities for optical microrobotics. This work presents an optical microrobotics perspective on the optical microfabrication and micromanipulation work that we performed. We designed different three-dimensional microstructures and fabricated them by two-photon polymerization. These microstructures were then handled using our biophotonics workstation (BWS) for proof-of-principle demonstrations of optical actuation, akin to 6DOF actuation of robotic micromanipulators. Furthermore, we also show an example of dynamic behavior of the trapped microstructure that can be achieved when using static traps in the BWS. This can be generalized, in the future, towards a structural shaping optimization strategy for optimally controlling microstructures to complement approaches based on lightshaping. We also show that light channeled to microfabricated, free-standing waveguides can be used not only to redirect light for targeted delivery of optical energy but can also for targeted delivery of optical force, which can serve to further extend the manipulation arms in optical robotics. Moreover, light deflection with waveguide also creates a recoil force on the waveguide, which can be exploited for controlling the optical force.

  15. Optical measurement of interface movements of liquid metal excited by a pneumatic shaker

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Men, Shouqiang; Zhou, Jun; Xu, Jingwen

    2015-02-01

    A model experiment was designed, and Faraday instabilities were generated in a plexiglass cylinder excited by a pneumatic shaker. A contacting distance meter and a single-point fiber-optic vibrometer were applied to measure the displacement/velocity of the shaker, both of the results are in good agreement with each other. Besides, the fibre-optic laser vibrometer was exploited to measure the velocity of the interface between potassium hydroxide aqueous solution and Galinstan. It shows that the fibre-optic vibrometer can be applied to measure the interface movements without Faraday instabilities, whereas there are strong scatter and the interface displacement can only be obtained qualitatively. In this case, a scanning vibrometer or a high-speed CCD camera should be used to record the interface movements.

  16. All-optical endoscopic probe for high resolution 3D photoacoustic tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ansari, R.; Zhang, E.; Desjardins, A. E.; Beard, P. C.

    2017-03-01

    A novel all-optical forward-viewing photoacoustic probe using a flexible coherent fibre-optic bundle and a Fabry- Perot (FP) ultrasound sensor has been developed. The fibre bundle, along with the FP sensor at its distal end, synthesizes a high density 2D array of wideband ultrasound detectors. Photoacoustic waves arriving at the sensor are spatially mapped by optically scanning the proximal end face of the bundle in 2D with a CW wavelength-tunable interrogation laser. 3D images are formed from the detected signals using a time-reversal image reconstruction algorithm. The system has been characterized in terms of its PSF, noise-equivalent pressure and field of view. Finally, the high resolution 3D imaging capability has been demonstrated using arbitrary shaped phantoms and duck embryo.

  17. Correlation between retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and optic nerve head size: an optical coherence tomography study.

    PubMed

    Savini, G; Zanini, M; Carelli, V; Sadun, A A; Ross-Cisneros, F N; Barboni, P

    2005-04-01

    To investigate the correlation between retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve head (ONH) size in normal white subjects by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT). 54 eyes of 54 healthy subjects aged between 15 and 54 underwent peripapillary RNFL thickness measurement by a series of three circular scans with a 3.4 mm diameter (Stratus OCT, RNFL Thickness 3.4 acquisition protocol). ONH analysis was performed by means of six radial scans centred on the optic disc (Stratus OCT, Fast Optic Disc acquisition protocol). The mean RNFL values were correlated with the data obtained by ONH analysis. The superior, nasal, and inferior quadrant RNFL thickness showed a significant correlation with the optic disc area (R = 0.3822, p = 0.0043), (R = 0.3024, p = 0.026), (R = 0.4048, p = 0.0024) and the horizontal disc diameter (R = 0.2971, p = 0.0291), (R = 0.2752, p = 0.044), (R = 0.3970, p = 0.003). The superior and inferior quadrant RNFL thickness was also positively correlated with the vertical disc diameter (R = 0.3774, p = 0.0049), (R = 0.2793, p = 0.0408). A significant correlation was observed between the 360 degrees average RNFL thickness and the optic disc area and the vertical and horizontal disc diameters of the ONH (R = 0.4985, p = 0.0001), (R = 0.4454, p = 0.0007), (R = 0.4301, p = 0.0012). RNFL thickness measurements obtained by Stratus OCT increased significantly with an increase in optic disc size. It is not clear if eyes with large ONHs show a thicker RNFL as a result of an increased amount of nerve fibres or to the shorter distance between the circular scan and the optic disc edge.

  18. Impact of initial pulse shape on the nonlinear spectral compression in optical fibre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boscolo, Sonia; Chaussard, Frederic; Andresen, Esben; Rigneault, Hervé; Finot, Christophe

    2018-02-01

    We theoretically study the effects of the temporal intensity profile of the initial pulse on the nonlinear propagation spectral compression process arising from nonlinear propagation in an optical fibre. Various linearly chirped input pulse profiles are considered, and their dynamics is explained with the aid of time-frequency representations. While initially parabolic-shaped pulses show enhanced spectral compression compared to Gaussian pulses, no significant spectral narrowing occurs when initially super-Gaussian pulses are used. Triangular pulses lead to a spectral interference phenomenon similar to the Fresnel bi-prism experiment.

  19. Narrow-band double-pass superluminescent diodes emitting at 1060 nm

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lobintsov, A A; Perevozchikov, M V; Shramenko, M V

    2009-09-30

    Experimental data are presented which show that double-pass superluminescent diodes (SLDs) with fibre Bragg grating (FBG) based spectrally selective external reflectors offer emission linewidths in the range 0.1-1.0 nm, i.e., one to two orders of magnitude narrower in comparison with conventional SLDs and considerably broader in comparison with single-frequency semiconductor lasers. Their optical power at the single-mode fibre output reaches 5.0-8.0 mW, and can be raised to 50 mW using a semiconductor optical amplifier. (lasers)

  20. Application of the fibre-optic interferometer as a rotational seismograph type AFORS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurzych, Anna; Jaroszewicz, Leszek R.; Krajewski, Zbigniew; Teisseyre, Krzysztof P.; Kowalski, Jerzy K.

    2014-12-01

    In this article we show a fibre-optic device based on the Sagnac effect designed for measuring rotational motions which appear during seismic events. The experimental investigations of presented Autonomous Fiber-Optical Rotational Seismographs indicate that such devices keep the accuracy no less than 5.1·10-9 to 5.5·10-8 rad/s in the frequency band from 0.83 Hz to 106.15 Hz. Furthermore, their operations are controlled fully remotely via Internet. We present the comparison of results obtained by such system in the field test with a mechanical rotational seismometer which is mounted simultaneously in the seismological observatory in Książ, Poland.

  1. PRAXIS: a near infrared spectrograph optimised for OH suppression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellis, S. C.; Bauer, S.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Case, S.; Content, R.; Fechner, T.; Giannone, D.; Haynes, R.; Hernandez, E.; Horton, A. J.; Klauser, U.; Lawrence, J. S.; Leon-Saval, S. G.; Lindley, E.; Löhmannsröben, H.-G.; Min, S.-S.; Pai, N.; Roth, M.; Shortridge, K.; Staszak, Nicholas F.; Tims, Julia; Xavier, Pascal; Zhelem, Ross

    2016-08-01

    Atmospheric emission from OH molecules is a long standing problem for near-infrared astronomy. PRAXIS is a unique spectrograph, currently in the build-phase, which is fed by a fibre array that removes the OH background. The OH suppression is achieved with fibre Bragg gratings, which were tested successfully on the GNOSIS instrument. PRAXIS will use the same fibre Bragg gratings as GNOSIS in the first implementation, and new, less expensive and more efficient, multicore fibre Bragg gratings in the second implementation. The OH lines are suppressed by a factor of 1000, and the expected increase in the signal-to-noise in the interline regions compared to GNOSIS is a factor of 9 with the GNOSIS gratings and a factor of 17 with the new gratings. PRAXIS will enable the full exploitation of OH suppression for the first time, which was not achieved by GNOSIS due to high thermal emission, low spectrograph transmission, and detector noise. PRAXIS will have extremely low thermal emission, through the cooling of all significantly emitting parts, including the fore-optics, the fibre Bragg gratings, a long length of fibre, and a fibre slit, and an optical design that minimises leaks of thermal emission from outside the spectrograph. PRAXIS will achieve low detector noise through the use of a Hawaii-2RG detector, and a high throughput through an efficient VPH based spectrograph. The scientific aims of the instrument are to determine the absolute level of the interline continuum and to enable observations of individual objects via an IFU. PRAXIS will first be installed on the AAT, then later on an 8m class telescope.

  2. SPECIAL ISSUE ON OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Reconstruction of vector physical fields by optical tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulchin, Yurii N.; Vitrik, O. B.; Kamenev, O. T.; Kirichenko, O. V.; Petrov, Yu S.

    1995-10-01

    Reconstruction of vector physical fields by optical tomography, with the aid of a system of fibre-optic measuring lines, is considered. The reported experimental results are used to reconstruct the distribution of the square of the gradient of transverse displacements of a flat membrane.

  3. Development of deployable fibre integral-field-units for the E-ELT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kelz, Andreas; Jahn, Thomas; Neumann, Justus; Roth, Martin M.; Rutowska, Monika; Sandin, Christer; Nicklas, Harald; Anwand, Heiko; Schmidt, C.

    2014-07-01

    The use of deployable fibre-bundles plays an increasing role in the design of future Multi-Object-Spectrographs (MOS). Within a research and development project for "Enabling Technologies for the E-ELT", various miniaturized, fibrebundles were designed, built and tested for their suitability for a proposed ELT-MOS instrument. The paper describes the opto-mechanical designs of the bundles and the different manufacture approaches, using glued, stacked and fused optical fibre bundles. The fibre bundles are characterized for performance, using dedicated testbenches in the laboratory and at a telescope simulator. Their performance is measured with respect to geometric accuracy, throughput, FRD behavior and cross-talk between channels.

  4. TAIPAN instrument fibre positioner and Starbug robots: engineering overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staszak, Nicholas F.; Lawrence, Jon; Brown, David M.; Brown, Rebecca; Zhelem, Ross; Goodwin, Michael; Kuehn, Kyler; Lorente, Nuria P. F.; Nichani, Vijay; Waller, Lew; Case, Scott; Content, Robert; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Klauser, Urs; Pai, Naveen; Mueller, Rolf; Mali, Slavko; Vuong, Minh V.

    2016-07-01

    TAIPAN will conduct a stellar and galaxy survey of the Southern sky. The TAIPAN positioner is being developed as a prototype for the MANIFEST instrument on the GMT. The design for TAIPAN incorporates 150 optical fibres (with an upgrade path to 300) situated within independently controlled robotic positioners known as Starbugs. Starbugs allow precise parallel positioning of individual fibres, thus significantly reducing instrument configuration time and increasing the amount of observing time. Presented is an engineering overview of the UKST upgrade of the completely new Instrument Spider Assembly utilized to support the Starbug Fibre Positioning Robot and current status of the Starbug itself.

  5. TAIPAN fibre feed and spectrograph: engineering overview

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staszak, Nicholas F.; Lawrence, Jon; Zhelem, Ross; Content, Robert; Churilov, Vladimir; Case, Scott; Brown, Rebecca; Hopkins, Andrew M.; Kuehn, Kyler; Pai, Naveen; Klauser, Urs; Nichani, Vijay; Waller, Lew

    2016-07-01

    TAIPAN will conduct a stellar and galaxy survey of the Southern sky. The TAIPAN positioner is being developed as a prototype for the MANIFEST instrument on the GMT. The TAIPAN Spectrograph is an AAO designed all-refractive 2-arm design that delivers a spectral resolution of R>2000 over the wavelength range 370-870 nm. It is fed by a custom fibre cable from the TAIPAN Starbugs positioner. The design for TAIPAN incorporates 150 optical fibres (with an upgrade path to 300). Presented is an engineering overview of the UKST Fibre Cable design used to support Starbugs, the custom slit design, and the overall design and build plan for the TAIPAN Spectrograph.

  6. Conversion of ultrashort laser pulses to wavelengths above 3 mm in tapered germanate fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anashkina, E. A.; Andrianov, A. V.; Kim, A. V.

    2015-05-01

    Tapered germanate fibres are proposed for effective adiabatic conversion of Raman soliton pulses to the mid-IR region. A theoretical analysis demonstrates that, in fibres with anomalous group velocity dispersion decreasing along their length, wavelengths of up to 3.5 μm can be reached, which are unattainable in fibres with a constant core diameter at the same parameters of a 2-μm input signal. The analysis relies on a one-way wave equation that takes into account the combined effect of dispersion, Kerr and Raman nonlinearities, nonlinear dispersion and optical losses and the frequency dependence of the effective fundamental transverse mode size.

  7. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Alekseev, A E; Potapov, V T; Gorshkov, B G

    We report the results of studying statistical properties of the intensity of partially polarised coherent light backscattered by a single mode optical fibre. An expression is derived for the deviation of the backscattered light intensity depending on the scattering region length, the degree of the light source coherence and the degree of scattered light polarisation. It is shown that the backscattered light in a fibre scattered-light interferometer is partially polarised with the polarisation degree P = 1/3 in the case of external perturbations of the interferometer fibre. (scattering of light)

  8. Modelling complex phenomena in optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allington-Smith, Jeremy; Murray, Graham; Lemke, Ulrike

    2012-09-01

    We present a new model for predicting the performance of fibre systems in the multimode limit. This is based on ray-­-tracing but includes a semi-­-empirical description of Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD). We show how FRD is simulated by the model. With this ability, it can be used to investigate a wide variety of phenomena including scrambling and the loss of light close to the limiting numerical aperture. It can also be used to predict the performance of non-­-round and asymmetric fibres.

  9. Feasibility study on measuring axial and transverse stress/strain components in composite materials using Bragg sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luyckx, G.; Degrieck, J.; De Waele, W.; Van Paepegem, W.; Van Roosbroeck, J.; Chah, K.; Vlekken, J.; McKenzie, I.; Obst, A.

    2017-11-01

    A fibre optic sensor design is proposed for simultaneously measuring the 3D stress (or strain) components and temperature inside thermo hardened composite materials. The sensor is based on two fibre Bragg gratings written in polarisation maintaining fibre. Based on calculations of the condition number, it will be shown that reasonable accuracies are to be expected. First tests on the bare sensors and on the sensors embedded in composite material, which confirm the expected behaviour, will be presented.

  10. The morphological changes of optically cleared cochlea using optical coherence tomography (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jaeyul; Song, Jaewon; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Jeehyun

    2017-02-01

    In this study, we monitored the optical clearing effects by immersing ex vivo guinea pig cochlea samples in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) to study the internal microstructures in the morphology of guinea pig cochlea. The imaging limitations due to the guinea pig cochlea structures were overcome by optical clearing technique. Subsequently, the study was carried out to confirm the required approximate immersing duration of cochlea in EDTA-based optical clearing to obtain the best optimal depth visibility for guinea pig cochlea samples. Thus, we implemented a decalcification-based optical clearing effect to guinea pig cochlea samples to enhance the depth visualization of internal microstructures using swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT). The obtained nondestructive two-dimensional OCT images successfully illustrated the feasibility of the proposed method by providing clearly visible microstructures in the depth direction as a result of decalcification. The most optimal clearing outcomes for the guinea pig cochlea were obtained after 14 consecutive days. The quantitative assessment results verified the increase of the intensity as well as the thickness measurements of the internal microstructures. Following this method, difficulties in imaging of internal cochlea microstructures of guinea pigs could be avoided. The obtained results verified that the depth visibility of the decalcified ex vivo guinea pig cochlea samples was enhanced. Therefore, the proposed EDTA-based optical clearing method for guinea pig can be considered as a potential application for depth-enhanced OCT visualization.

  11. Optical properties of in-vitro biomineralised silica.

    PubMed

    Polini, Alessandro; Pagliara, Stefano; Camposeo, Andrea; Cingolani, Roberto; Wang, Xiaohong; Schröder, Heinz C; Müller, Werner E G; Pisignano, Dario

    2012-01-01

    Silicon is the second most common element on the Earth's crust and its oxide (SiO(2)) the most abundant mineral. Silica and silicates are widely used in medicine and industry as well as in micro- and nano-optics and electronics. However, the fabrication of glass fibres and components requires high temperature and non-physiological conditions, in contrast to biosilica structures in animals and plants. Here, we show for the first time the use of recombinant silicatein-α, the most abundant subunit of sponge proteins catalyzing biosilicification reactions, to direct the formation of optical waveguides in-vitro through soft microlithography. The artificial biosilica fibres mimic the natural sponge spicules, exhibiting refractive index values suitable for confinement of light within waveguides, with optical losses in the range of 5-10 cm(-1), suitable for application in lab-on-chips systems. This method extends biosilicification to the controlled fabrication of optical components by physiological processing conditions, hardly addressed by conventional technologies.

  12. Design, development, and performance of the fibres of MOONS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guinouard, Isabelle; Avila, Gerardo; Lee, David; Amans, Jean-Philippe; Rees, Phil; Taylor, William; Oliva, Ernesto

    2016-07-01

    The Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph (MOONS) will exploit the full 500 square arcmin field of view offered by the Nasmyth focus of the Very Large Telescope and will be equipped with two identical triple arm cryogenic spectrographs covering the wavelength range 0.64μm-1.8μm, with a multiplex capability of over 1000 fibres. Each spectrograph will produce spectra for 500 targets simultaneously, each with its own dedicated sky fibre for optimal sky subtraction. The system will have both a medium resolution (R 4000-6000) mode and a high resolution (R 20000) mode. The fibres are used to pick off each sub field of 1" and are used to transport the light from the instrument focal plane to the two spectrographs. Each fibre has a microlens to focus the beam into the fibre at a relative fast focal ratio of F/3.65 to reduce the Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD).

  13. Adaptive wavefront shaping for controlling nonlinear multimode interactions in optical fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tzang, Omer; Caravaca-Aguirre, Antonio M.; Wagner, Kelvin; Piestun, Rafael

    2018-06-01

    Recent progress in wavefront shaping has enabled control of light propagation inside linear media to focus and image through scattering objects. In particular, light propagation in multimode fibres comprises complex intermodal interactions and rich spatiotemporal dynamics. Control of physical phenomena in multimode fibres and its applications are in their infancy, opening opportunities to take advantage of complex nonlinear modal dynamics. Here, we demonstrate a wavefront shaping approach for controlling nonlinear phenomena in multimode fibres. Using a spatial light modulator at the fibre input, real-time spectral feedback and a genetic algorithm optimization, we control a highly nonlinear multimode stimulated Raman scattering cascade and its interplay with four-wave mixing via a flexible implicit control on the superposition of modes coupled into the fibre. We show versatile spectrum manipulations including shifts, suppression, and enhancement of Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks. These demonstrations illustrate the power of wavefront shaping to control and optimize nonlinear wave propagation.

  14. Effects of hair sprays on colour perception: a hyperspectral imaging approach to shine and chroma on heads.

    PubMed

    Puccetti, G; Thompson, W

    2017-04-01

    Hair sprays apply fixative ingredients to provide hold to a hair style as well as weather resistance and optical properties such as shine. Generally, sprays distribute fine particles containing polymeric ingredients to form a thin film on the surface of hair. Different hair types require different strengths of the formed deposit on the hair surface. The present study shows how sprays also alter the visibility of the hair colour by altering the surface topology of the hair fibres. Hyperspectral imaging is used to map spectral characteristics of hair on mannequins and panelists over the curvature of heads. Spectral and spatial characteristics are measured before and after hair spray applications. The hair surface is imaged by SEM to visualize the degree of cuticle coverage. Finally, the perception of hair colour was evaluated on red-coloured mannequins by consumer questionnaire. Hair sprays deposit different degrees of fixatives, which lead to a progressive leveling of the cuticle natural tilt angle with respect to the fibre axis. As a result, shine is progressively shifting towards the region of hair colour visibility and decreases the perceived colour of hair seen by consumers. Lighter sprays show thinner film formation on the hair surface and less of a shine shift than strong hold hair sprays. Hair sprays are generally employed for hair style hold and weather resistance and considered without effect on hair colour. Our approach shows that spray-deposited films can affect colour perception by altering the microstructure of the hair surface. Thin films deposited on the hair fibre surface can partially fill gaps between cuticles, which reduces the cuticle natural angle. This partial erasure results in a angle shift of the shine regions towards the angle of internal reflection, thus decreasing the perceived hair colour regions as experienced by a group of consumers. © 2016 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

  15. Microstructured Optical Fiber Sensors Embedded in a Laminate Composite for Smart Material Applications

    PubMed Central

    Sonnenfeld, Camille; Sulejmani, Sanne; Geernaert, Thomas; Eve, Sophie; Lammens, Nicolas; Luyckx, Geert; Voet, Eli; Degrieck, Joris; Urbanczyk, Waclaw; Mergo, Pawel; Becker, Martin; Bartelt, Hartmut; Berghmans, Francis; Thienpont, Hugo

    2011-01-01

    Fiber Bragg gratings written in highly birefringent microstructured optical fiber with a dedicated design are embedded in a composite fiber-reinforced polymer. The Bragg peak wavelength shifts are measured under controlled axial and transversal strain and during thermal cycling of the composite sample. We obtain a sensitivity to transversal strain that exceeds values reported earlier in literature by one order of magnitude. Our results evidence the relevance of using microstructured optical fibers for structural integrity monitoring of composite material structures. PMID:22163755

  16. Quantum Dots Microstructured Optical Fiber for X-Ray Detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeHaven, Stan; Williams, Phillip; Burke, Eric

    2015-01-01

    Microstructured optical fibers containing quantum dots scintillation material comprised of zinc sulfide nanocrystals doped with magnesium sulfide are presented. These quantum dots are applied inside the microstructured optical fibers using capillary action. The x-ray photon counts of these fibers are compared to the output of a collimated CdTe solid state detector over an energy range from 10 to 40 keV. The results of the fiber light output and associated effects of an acrylate coating and the quantum dot application technique are discussed.

  17. High-Resolution Fibre-Optic Temperature Sensing: A New Tool to Study the Two-Dimensional Structure of Atmospheric Surface-Layer Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Christoph K.; Kennedy, Adam M.; Selker, John S.; Moretti, Ayla; Schroth, Martin H.; Smoot, Alexander R.; Tufillaro, Nicholas B.; Zeeman, Matthias J.

    2012-02-01

    We present a novel approach based on fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) to measure the two-dimensional thermal structure of the surface layer at high resolution (0.25 m, ≈0.5 Hz). Air temperature observations obtained from a vertically-oriented fibre-optics array of approximate dimensions 8 m × 8 m and sonic anemometer data from two levels were collected over a short grass field located in the flat bottom of a wide valley with moderate surface heterogeneity. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the potential of the DTS technique to study small-scale processes in the surface layer over a wide range of atmospheric stability, and to analyze the space-time dynamics of transient cold-air pools in the calm boundary layer. The time response and precision of the fibre-based temperatures were adequate to resolve individual sub-metre sized turbulent and non-turbulent structures, of time scales of seconds, in the convective, neutral, and stable surface layer. Meaningful sensible heat fluxes were computed using the eddy-covariance technique when combined with vertical wind observations. We present a framework that determines the optimal environmental conditions for applying the fibre-optics technique in the surface layer and identifies areas for potentially significant improvements of the DTS performance. The top of the transient cold-air pool was highly non-stationary indicating a superposition of perturbations of different time and length scales. Vertical eddy scales in the strongly stratified transient cold-air pool derived from the DTS data agreed well with the buoyancy length scale computed using the vertical velocity variance and the Brunt-Vaisala frequency, while scales for weak stratification disagreed. The high-resolution DTS technique opens a new window into spatially sampling geophysical fluid flows including turbulent energy exchange.

  18. Optimal spacing between transmitting and receiving optical fibres in reflectance pulse oximetry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hickey, M.; Kyriacou, P. A.

    2007-10-01

    Splanchnic ischaemia can ultimately lead to cellular hypoxia and necrosis, and may well contribute to the development of multiple organ failures and increased mortality. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to monitor abdominal organ blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). Pulse oximetry has been widely accepted as a reliable method for monitoring oxygen saturation of arterial blood. Animal studies have also shown it to be effective in the monitoring of blood oxygen saturation in the splanchnic region. However, commercially available pulse oximeter probes are not suitable for the continuous assessment of SpO2 in the splanchnic region. Therefore, there is a need for a new sensor technology that will allow the continuous measurement of SpO2 in the splanchnic area pre-operatively, operatively and post-operatively. For this purpose, a new fibre optic sensor and processing system utilising the principle of reflectance pulse oximetry has been developed. The accuracy in the estimation of SpO2 in pulse oximetry depends on the quality and amplitude of the photoplethysmographic (PPG) signal and for this reason an experimental procedure was carried out to examine the effect of the source-detector separation distance on the acquired PPG signals, and to ultimately select an optimal separation for the final design of the fibre-optic probe. PPG signals were obtained from the finger for different separation distances between the emitting and detecting fibres. Good quality PPG signals with large amplitudes and high signal-to-noise ratio were detected in the range of 3mm to 6mm. At separation distances between 1mm and 2mm, PPG signals were erratic with no resemblance to a conventional PPG signal. At separation distances greater than 6mm, the amplitudes of PPG signals were very small and not appropriate for processing. This investigation indicates the suitability of optical fibres as a new pulse oximetry sensor for estimating blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) in the splanchnic region.

  19. An ultra-wideband tunable multi-wavelength Brillouin fibre laser based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and dispersion compensating fibre in a linear cavity configuration

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zulkifli, M Z; Ahmad, H; Hassan, N A

    2011-07-31

    A multi-wavelength Brillouin fibre laser (MBFL) with an ultra-wideband tuning range from 1420 nm to 1620 nm is demonstrated. The MBFL uses an ultra-wideband semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a dispersion compensating fibre (DCF) as the linear gain medium and nonlinear gain medium, respectively. The proposed MBFL has a wide tuning range covering the short (S-), conventional (C-) and long (L-) bands with a wavelength spacing of 0.08 nm, making it highly suitable for DWDM system applications. The output power of the observed Brillouin Stokes ranges approximately from -5.94 dBm to -0.41 dBm for the S-band, from -4.34 dBm tomore » 0.02 dBm for the C-band and from -2.19 dBm to 0.39 dBm for the L-band. The spacing between each adjacent wavelengths of all the three bands is about 0.08 nm, which is approximately 10.7 GHz for the frequency domain. (lasers)« less

  20. Advances in Bio-Tactile Sensors for Minimally Invasive Surgery Using the Fibre Bragg Grating Force Sensor Technique:A Survey

    PubMed Central

    Abushagur, Abdulfatah A.G.; Arsad, Norhana; Ibne Reaz, Mamun; Ashrif, A.; Bakar, A.

    2014-01-01

    The large interest in utilising fibre Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) applications to replace conventional electrical tactile sensors has grown in the past few years. FBG strain sensors offer the advantages of optical fibre sensors, such as high sensitivity, immunity to electromagnetic noise, electrical passivity and chemical inertness, but are not limited by phase discontinuity or intensity fluctuations. FBG sensors feature a wavelength-encoding sensing signal that enables distributed sensing that utilises fewer connections. In addition, their flexibility and lightness allow easy insertion into needles and catheters, thus enabling localised measurements inside tissues and blood. Two types of FBG tactile sensors have been emphasised in the literature: single-point and array FBG tactile sensors. This paper describes the current design, development and research of the optical fibre tactile techniques that are based on FBGs to enhance the performance of MIS procedures in general. Providing MIS or microsurgery surgeons with accurate and precise measurements and control of the contact forces during tissues manipulation will benefit both surgeons and patients. PMID:24721774

  1. Fibre optic portable rail vehicle detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kepak, Stanislav; Cubik, Jakub; Zavodny, Petr; Hejduk, Stanislav; Nedoma, Jan; Davidson, Alan; Vasinek, Vladimir

    2016-12-01

    During track maintenance operations, the early detection of oncoming rail vehicles is critical for the safety of maintenance personnel. In addition, the detection system should be simple to install at the trackside by minimally qualified personnel. Fibre optic based sensor systems have the inherent advantages of being passive, unaffected by radio frequency interference (RFI) and suffering very low signal attenuation. Such a system therefore represents a good alternative to conventional approaches such as ultrasonic based sensor systems. The proposed system consists of one or more passive fibre trackside sensors and an x86 processing unit located at the work site. The solid fibre connection between sensors and processing unit eliminates the risk of RFI. In addition, the detection system sensors are easy to install with no requirement for electrical power at the sensor site. The system was tested on a tram line in Ostrava with the results obtained indicating the successful detection of all the trams in the monitoring windows using a single sensor. However, the platform allows flexibility in configuring multiple sensors where required by system users.

  2. Pulsed optical fibre lasers: Self-pulsation, Q-switching and tissue interactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Sherif, Ashraf Fathy

    The experimental and theoretical aspects of self-pulsing and dynamics effects of a CW Tm3+-doped silica fibre laser operating near 2 mum are investigated and examined for the first time. Various self-pulsing regimes are observed for a range of pumping rates when the fibre is end-pumped with a high power Nd:YAG laser operating at 1.319 mum in a linear bidirectional cavity. A theoretical model based on pair induced quenching (PIQ) is considered. The quenching effect acts as a saturable absorber or an additional dynamical loss mechanism, this additional absorber then may make the laser system unstable depending on whether the obtained steady-state solution is stable or not. A comparison between measured self-pulsation frequency and calculated relaxation oscillation frequency as a function of pumping rate is presented and discussed. High performance operation of a mechanical shutter Q-switched Tm3+-doped silica fibre laser operating near 2 mum is observed and presented. A single Q-switched pulse with peak power of 18.5 W and pulse duration at full width half maximum (FWHM) of 300 ns at higher mechanical chopper frequencies of nearly 20 kHz is achieved. The pulse-to-pulse stability was measured and improved to be more less than 5 %. The development, optimisation of the performance and analysis of an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) Q-switched Tm3+-doped silica fibre laser operating near 2 mum are presented. The shortest pulse duration obtained was 150 ns, giving a highest peak power of 4.1 kW, and is the highest yet reported from any type of active Q-switched fibre laser operating in low order mode. The maximum peak power was obtained for an optimum cavity length of 1.15 meters made up of fibre length, Q-switch crystal and passive space. The pulse train with high pulse-to-pulse stability of 1 % occurred at a range of high repetition rates from 10 to 30 kHz. High energy, high brightness of an electro-optic modulator (EOM) Q-switched Tm3+-doped silica fibre laser operating near 2 mum is presented. Appropriate design precautions have been undertaken to ensure that prelasing does not occur. In this system, the main Q-switched pulse may be followed by one pulse of lower amplitude "postlasing" when an optimised quarter wave voltage of 750 V is applied. It was found that the laser produced 320 ns pulses with 2.5 mJ pulse energy and 3.3 kW peak power at low repetition rates of 50-70 Hz. This is the first time that such studies of electro-optic modulator (EOM) Q-switched Tm3+ fibre lasers have been reported. The maximum peak power was obtained for an optimum cavity length of 2.15 meters, made up of fibre length, broadband beamsplitter polarizer, Q-switch crystal and passive space. Computer simulation of Tm3+doped silica and Er2-doped fluorozirconate fibre lasers using general laser analysis and design (GLAD) software has been successfully investigated for the first time. Input files, which are very similar to language are created to model three designs of fibre lasers, two for Tm3+-doped silica fibre lasers, core pumped at 1.57 mum and cladding pumped at 790 nm, and one for a 2.7 mum Er3+-doped fluorozirconate fibre laser cladding pumped at 975 nm. Results are presented from a relatively comprehensive computer model, which simulates CW operation of the fibre lasers. The simulation suggests that to enhance the conversion energy we have to optimise between the absorption coefficient of the fibre and the diffraction algorithms. Comparison of soft and hard tissue ablation with high peak power Q-switched and CW Tm3+-silica fibre lasers are presented. The ablation of chicken breast and lamb liver tissues as a soft tissue and cartilage as a hard tissue have been investigated using a free running CW-Tm3+-doped fibre laser (wavelength 1.99 mum, with self-pulsation duration ranging over 1 to few tens of microseconds) and for Q-switched operation of the same laser (pulse duration ranging from 150 ns to 900 ns and pulse repetition rates from 100 Hz to 17 kHz). Residual damage and affected zones using the CW laser were nearly 6 times greater than using the Q-switched fibre laser for about 50 s of exposure time, and increased with pulse repetition rate. The energy required to ablate tissues with the CW-fibre laser ranged from 153 to 334 kJ/cm3 and was significantly smaller from 0.2 to 0.6 kJ/cm3 for the Q-switched fibre laser. This study is the first direct comparison of tissue interaction of CW and Q- switched Tm3+-doped silica fibre lasers on crater depth, heat of ablation and collateral damage. The Q-switched Tm3+-doped silica fibre laser effectively ablates tissue with little secondary damage.

  3. Rheological characteristics of pulp-fibre-reinforced polyamide composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cherizol, Robenson

    Recently, there has been increasing interest in utilizing pulp-fibre-reinforced, higher-melting-temperature engineering thermoplastics, such as polyamide 11 and polyamide 6 in the automotive, aerospace and construction industries. Moreover, the rheological characteristics of those composites were not fully investigated in relation to processing approaches and pulp-fibre aspect ratio. Two processing approaches were used in this thesis: the extrusion compounding process and the Brabender mixer technique using inorganic salt lithium chloride (LiCl). The fibre-length distribution and content, and the densities of the PA11 and modified bio-based PA11 after compounding, were investigated and found to coincide with the final properties of the resultant composites. The effects of fibre content, fibre aspect ratio, and fibre length on rheological properties were studied. The rheological properties of high-yield-pulp (HYP) -reinforced bio-based Polyamide 11 (PA11) composite (HYP/PA11) were experimentally investigated using a capillary rheometer. Experimental test results showed a steep decrease in shear viscosity with increasing shear rate; this melt-flow characteristic corresponds to shear-thinning behavior in HYP/PA11. The morphological properties of HYP/PA11 composite were examined using SEM: no fibre pullout was observed. This was due to the presence of the hydrogen bond, which created excellent compatibility between high-yield pulp fibre and bio-based Nylon 11. The viscoelastic characteristics of biocomposites derived from natural-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic polymers and of predictive models were reviewed to understand their rheological behavior. Novel predicted multiphase rheological-model-based polymer, fibre, and interphasial phases were developed. Rheological characteristics of the composite components influenced the development of resultant microstructures; this in turn affected the mechanical characteristics of a multiphase composite. Experimental and theoretical test results of HYP/PA11 showed a steep decrease in apparent viscosity with increasing shear rate; this melt-flow characteristic corresponds to shear-thinning behavior in HYP/PA11.The nonlinear mathematical model to predict the rheological behavior of HYP/PA11was validated experimentally at 200?C and 5000S-1 shear rate.

  4. Correlated Time-Variation of Asphalt Rheology and Bulk Microstructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramm, Adam; Nazmus, Sakib; Bhasin, Amit; Downer, Michael

    We use noncontact optical microscopy and optical scattering in the visible and near-infrared spectrum on Performance Grade (PG) asphalt binder to confirm the existence of microstructures in the bulk. The number of visible microstructures increases linearly as penetration depth of the incident radiation increases, which verifies a uniform volume distribution of microstructures. We use dark field optical scatter in the near-infrared to measure the temperature dependent behavior of the bulk microstructures and compare this behavior with Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) measurements of the bulk complex shear modulus | G* (T) | . The main findings are: (1) After reaching thermal equilibrium, both temperature dependent optical scatter intensity (I (T)) and bulk shear modulus (| G* (T) |) continue to change appreciably for times much greater than thermal equilibration times. (2) The hysteresis behavior during a complete temperature cycle seen in previous work derives from a larger time dependence in the cooling step compared with the heating step. (3) Different binder aging conditions show different thermal time-variations for both I (T) and | G* (T) | .

  5. SpaceFibre: The Standard, Simulation, IP Cores and Test Equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parkes, Steve; McClements, Chris; McLaren, David; Ferrer Florit, Albert; Gonzalez Villafranca, Alberto

    2015-09-01

    SpaceFibre is an emerging new standard for spacecraft on-board data-handling networks. Initially targeted to deliver multi-Gbit/s data rates for synthetic aperture radar and high-resolution, multi-spectral imaging instruments, SpaceFibre has developed into a unified network technology that integrates high bandwidth, with low latency, quality of service (QoS) and fault detection, isolation and recovery (FDIR). Furthermore SpaceFibre is backwards compatible with the widely used SpaceWire standard at the network level allowing simple interconnection of existing SpaceWire equipment to a SpaceFibre link or network. Developed by the University of Dundee for the European Space Agency (ESA) SpaceFibre is able to operate over fibre-optic and electrical cable and supports data rates of 2 Gbit/s in the near future and up to 5 Gbit/s long-term. Multi-laning improves the data-rate further to well over 20 Gbits/s. This paper details the current state of SpaceFibre which is now in the process of formal standardisation by the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS). It describes the SpaceFibre IP core being developed for ESA. The design of a SpaceFibre demonstration board is introduced and available SpaceFibre test and development equipment is described. The way in which several SpaceWire links can be concentrated over a single SpaceFibre link will be explained.

  6. Development of the fibres of MOONS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guinouard, Isabelle; Lee, David; Schnetler, Hermine; Taylor, William; Amans, Jean-Philippe; Montgomery, David; Oliva, Ernesto

    2014-07-01

    MOONS will exploit the full 500 square arcmin field of view offered by the Nasmyth focus of the Very Large Telescope and will be equipped with two identical triple arm cryogenic spectrographs covering the wavelength range 0.8 - 1.8 μm, with a multiplex capability of approximately 1000 fibres. Each triple arm spectrograph will produce spectra for half of the targets simultaneously. The system will have both a medium resolution (R~4000-6000) mode and a high resolution (R~20000) mode. The fibres are used to pick off each sub field of 1.05 arcseconds and are used to transport the light from the instrument focal plane to the two spectrographs. Each fibre has a microlens to focus the beam into the fibre at a relative fast focal ratio of F/3.65 to reduce the Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD). This paper presents the overall design of the fibre system and describes the specific developments required to optimise its performance. The design of the fibre input optics, the choice of the fibre connector, and the layout of the slit end are described. The results of preliminary tests to measure the effect of twisting on the FRD performance of prototype fibres are also discussed.

  7. Retinal axons with and without their somata, growing to and arborizing in the tectum of Xenopus embryos: a time-lapse video study of single fibres in vivo.

    PubMed

    Harris, W A; Holt, C E; Bonhoeffer, F

    1987-09-01

    Time-lapse video recordings were made of individual retinal ganglion cell fibres growing to and terminating in the optic tectum of Xenopus embryos. The fibres were stained by inserting a crystal of the lipophilic fluorescent dye, DiI, into the developing retina. Growth cones were observed in the optic tract and tectum using 20 ms flashes of light to induce fluorescence approximately once every minute. Fluorescent images were captured with a SIT camera, processed and saved on a time-lapse video recorder. The main conclusions from observing normal growing fibres are as follows. (1) Axons in the optic tract grow at a steady rate directly toward their targets without retracting or branching. (2) As axons approach the tectum they slow down and their growth cones become more complex. (3) Most terminal branches in the tectum are formed by back branching rather than by bifurcation of leading growth cones. In a second experiment, labelled growing axons were separated from their cell bodies by removing the retina. Such isolated axons continued to grow for up to 3 h in vivo and were capable of recognizing the tectum and arborizing there. This result shows that growth cones must contain the machinery needed to sense and respond to their specific pathways and targets.

  8. Temperature and strain registration by fibre-optic strain sensor in the polymer composite materials manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matveenko, V. P.; Kosheleva, N. A.; Shardakov, I. N.; Voronkov, A. A.

    2018-04-01

    The presence of process-induced strains induced by various manufacturing and operational factors is one of the characteristics of polymer composite materials (PCM). Conventional methods of registration and evaluation of process-induced strains can be laborious, time-consuming and demanding in terms of technical applications. The employment of embedded fibre-optic strain sensors (FOSS) offers a real prospect of measuring residual strains. This paper demonstrates the potential for using embedded FOSS for recording technological strains in a PCM plate. The PCM plate is manufactured from prepreg, using the direct compression-moulding method. In this method, the prepared reinforcing package is placed inside a mould, heated, and then exposed to compaction pressure. The examined technology can be used for positioning FOSS between the layers of the composite material. Fibre-optic sensors, interacting with the material of the examined object, make it possible to register the evolution of the strain process during all stages of polymer-composite formation. FOSS data were recorded with interrogator ASTRO X 327. The obtained data were processed using specially developed algorithms.

  9. Improving the fiber coupling efficiency for DARWIN by loss-less shaping of the receive beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voland, Ch.; Weigel, Th.; Dreischer, Th.; Wallner, O.; Ergenzinger, K.; Ries, H.; Jetter, R.; Vosteen, A.

    2017-11-01

    For the DARWIN mission the extremely low planet signal levels require an optical instrument design with utmost efficiency to guarantee the required science performance. By shaping the transverse amplitude and phase distributions of the receive beams, the singlemode fibre coupling efficiency can be increased to almost 100%, thus allowing for a gain of more than 20% compared to conventional designs. We show that the use of "tailored freeform surfaces" for purpose of beam shaping dramatically reduces the coupling degradations, which otherwise result from mode mismatch between the Airy pattern of the image and the fibre mode, and therefore allows for achieving a performance close to the physical limitations. We present an application of tailored surfaces for building a beam shaping optics that shall enhance fibre coupling performance as core part of a space based interferometer in the future DARWIN mission and present performance predictions by wave-optical simulations. We assess the feasibility of manufacturing the corresponding tailored surfaces and describe the proof of concept demonstrator we use for experimental performance verification.

  10. Dynamic Analysis with Fibre Optic Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-10-01

    cracked thick aluminum plate repaired with a bonded composite patch using transmission-type extrinsic Fabry – Perot interferometric optical fiber...and optical filtering have been used to demodulate returned Bragg signals. Due to the passive nature of the interrogation unit, system bandwidth is

  11. CW-OSL measurement protocols using optical fibre Al2O3:C dosemeters.

    PubMed

    Edmund, J M; Andersen, C E; Marckmann, C J; Aznar, M C; Akselrod, M S; Bøtter-Jensen, L

    2006-01-01

    A new system for in vivo dosimetry during radiotherapy has been introduced. Luminescence signals from a small crystal of carbon-doped aluminium oxide (Al2O3:C) are transmitted through an optical fibre cable to an instrument that contains optical filters, a photomultiplier tube and a green (532 nm) laser. The prime output is continuous wave optically stimulated luminescence (CW-OSL) used for the measurement of the integrated dose. We demonstrate a measurement protocol with high reproducibility and improved linearity, which is suitable for clinical dosimetry. A crystal-specific minimum pre-dose is necessary for signal stabilisation. Simple background subtraction only partially removes the residual signal present at long integration times. Instead, the measurement protocol separates the decay curve into three individual components and only the fast and medium components were used.

  12. Macroscopic assembled, ultrastrong and H2SO4-resistant fibres of polymer-grafted graphene oxide

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Xiaoli; Xu, Zhen; Zheng, Bingna; Gao, Chao

    2013-01-01

    Nacre realizes strength and toughness through hierarchical designs with primary “brick and mortar” structures of alternative arrangement of nanoplatelets and biomacromolecules, and these have inspired the fabrication of nanocomposites for decades. However, to simultaneously solve the three critical problems of phase separation, low interfacial strength and random orientation of nanofillers for nanocomposites is a great challenge yet. Here we demonstrate that polymer-grafted graphene oxide sheets are exceptional building blocks for nanocomposites. Their liquid crystalline dispersions can be wet-spun into continuous fibres. Because of well-ordering and efficient load transfer, the composites show remarkable tensile strength (500 MPa), three to four times higher than nacre. The uniform layered microstructures and strong interlayer interactions also endow the fibres good resistance to chemicals including 98% sulfuric acid. We studied the enhancing effect of nanofillers with fraction in a whole range (0–100%), and proposed an equation to depict the relationship. PMID:24196491

  13. Towards optical fibre based Raman spectroscopy for the detection of surgical site infection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, Alex J.; Koziej, Lukasz; Williams, Huw D.; Elson, Daniel S.; Yang, Guang-Zhong

    2016-03-01

    Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common post-surgical complications that remain significant clinical problems, as they are associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. As such, there is significant interest in the development of minimally invasive techniques that permit early detection of SSIs. To this end, we are applying a compact, clinically deployable Raman spectrometer coupled to an optical fibre probe to the study of bacteria, with the long term goal of using Raman spectroscopy to detect infection in vivo. Our system comprises a 785 nm laser diode for excitation and a commercial (Ocean Optics, Inc.) Raman spectrometer for detection. Here we discuss the design, optimisation and validation of this system, and describe our first experiences interrogating bacterial cells (Escherichia coli) in vitro.

  14. Influence of van der Waals forces on increasing the strength and toughness in dynamic fracture of nanofibre networks: a peridynamic approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bobaru, F.

    2007-07-01

    The peridynamic method is used here to analyse the effect of van der Waals forces on the mechanical behaviour and strength and toughness properties of three-dimensional nanofibre networks under imposed stretch deformation. The peridynamic formulation allows for a natural inclusion of long-range forces (such as van der Waals forces) by considering all interactions as 'long-range'. We use van der Waals interactions only between different fibres and do not need to model individual atoms. Fracture is introduced at the microstructural (peridynamic bond) level for the microelastic type bonds, while van der Waals bonds can reform at any time. We conduct statistical studies to determine a certain volume element for which the network of randomly oriented fibres becomes quasi-isotropic and insensitive to statistical variations. This qualitative study shows that the presence of van der Waals interactions and of heterogeneities (sacrificial bonds) in the strength of the bonds at the crosslinks between fibres can help in increasing the strength and toughness of the nanofibre network. Two main mechanisms appear to control the deformation of nanofibre networks: fibre reorientation (caused by deformation and breakage) and fibre accretion (due to van der Waals interaction). Similarities to the observed toughness of polymer adhesive in the abalone shell composition are explained. The author would like to dedicate this work to the 60th anniversary of Professor Subrata Mukherjee.

  15. High Power Q-Switched Thulium Doped Fibre Laser using Carbon Nanotube Polymer Composite Saturable Absorber

    PubMed Central

    Chernysheva, Maria; Mou, Chengbo; Arif, Raz; AlAraimi, Mohammed; Rümmeli, Mark; Turitsyn, Sergei; Rozhin, Aleksey

    2016-01-01

    We have proposed and demonstrated a Q-switched Thulium doped fibre laser (TDFL) with a ‘Yin-Yang’ all-fibre cavity scheme based on a combination of nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) and nonlinear amplified loop mirror (NALM). Unidirectional lasing operation has been achieved without any intracavity isolator. By using a carbon nanotube polymer composite based saturable absorber (SA), we demonstrated the laser output power of ~197 mW and pulse energy of 1.7 μJ. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power from a nanotube polymer composite SA based Q-switched Thulium doped fibre laser. PMID:27063511

  16. Blood detection in the spinal column of whole cooked chicken using an optical fibre based sensor system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheridan, C.; O'Farrell, M.; Lyons, W. B.; Lewis, E.; Flanagan, C.; Jackman, N.

    2005-01-01

    An optical fibre based sensor has been developed to aid the quality assurance of food cooked in industrial ovens by monitoring the product in situ as it cooks. The sensor measures the product colour as it cooks by examining the reflected visible light from the surface as well as the core of the product. This paper examines the use of the sensor for the detection of blood in the spinal area of cooked whole chickens. The results presented here show that the sensor can be successfully used for this purpose.

  17. Diffracted field distributions from the HE11 mode in a hollow optical fibre for an atomic funnel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ni, Yun; Liu, Nanchun; Yin, Jianping

    2003-06-01

    The diffracted near field distribution from an LP01 mode in a hollow optical fibre was recently calculated using a scalar model based on the weakly waveguiding approximation (Yoo et al 1999 J. Opt. B: Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 1 364). It showed a dominant Gaussian-like distribution with an increased axial intensity in the central region (not a doughnut-like distribution), so the diffracted output beam from the hollow fibre cannot be used to form an atomic funnel. Using exact solutions of the Maxwell equations based on a vector model, however, we calculate the electric field and intensity distributions of the HE11 mode in the same hollow fibre and study the diffracted near- and far-field distributions of the HE11-mode output beam under the Fresnel approximation. We analyse and compare the differences between the output beams from the HE11 and LP01 modes. Our study shows that both the near- and far-field intensity distributions of the HE11-mode output beam are doughnut-like and can be used to form a simple atomic funnel. However, it is not suitable to use the weakly waveguiding approximation to calculate the diffracted near-field distribution of the hollow fibre due to the greater refractive-index difference between the hollow region (n0 = 1) and the core (n1 = 1.45 or 1.5). Finally, the 3D intensity distribution of the HE11-mode output beam is modelled and the corresponding optical potentials for cold atoms are calculated. Some potential applications of the HE11-mode output beam in an atomic guide and funnel are briefly discussed.

  18. Development and implementation of an automatic integration system for fibre optic sensors in the braiding process with the objective of online-monitoring of composite structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hufenbach, W.; Gude, M.; Czulak, A.; Kretschmann, Martin

    2014-04-01

    Increasing economic, political and ecological pressure leads to steadily rising percentage of modern processing and manufacturing processes for fibre reinforced polymers in industrial batch production. Component weights beneath a level achievable by classic construction materials, which lead to a reduced energy and cost balance during product lifetime, justify the higher fabrication costs. However, complex quality control and failure prediction slow down the substitution by composite materials. High-resolution fibre-optic sensors (FOS), due their low diameter, high measuring point density and simple handling, show a high applicability potential for an automated sensor-integration in manufacturing processes, and therefore the online monitoring of composite products manufactured in industrial scale. Integrated sensors can be used to monitor manufacturing processes, part tests as well as the component structure during product life cycle, which simplifies allows quality control during production and the optimization of single manufacturing processes.[1;2] Furthermore, detailed failure analyses lead to a enhanced understanding of failure processes appearing in composite materials. This leads to a lower wastrel number and products of a higher value and longer product life cycle, whereby costs, material and energy are saved. This work shows an automation approach for FOS-integration in the braiding process. For that purpose a braiding wheel has been supplemented with an appliance for automatic sensor application, which has been used to manufacture preforms of high-pressure composite vessels with FOS-networks integrated between the fibre layers. All following manufacturing processes (vacuum infiltration, curing) and component tests (quasi-static pressure test, programmed delamination) were monitored with the help of the integrated sensor networks. Keywords: SHM, high-pressure composite vessel, braiding, automated sensor integration, pressure test, quality control, optic-fibre sensors, Rayleigh, Luna Technologies

  19. Monitoring Pre-Stressed Composites Using Optical Fibre Sensors.

    PubMed

    Krishnamurthy, Sriram; Badcock, Rodney A; Machavaram, Venkata R; Fernando, Gerard F

    2016-05-28

    Residual stresses in fibre reinforced composites can give rise to a number of undesired effects such as loss of dimensional stability and premature fracture. Hence, there is significant merit in developing processing techniques to mitigate the development of residual stresses. However, tracking and quantifying the development of these fabrication-induced stresses in real-time using conventional non-destructive techniques is not straightforward. This article reports on the design and evaluation of a technique for manufacturing pre-stressed composite panels from unidirectional E-glass/epoxy prepregs. Here, the magnitude of the applied pre-stress was monitored using an integrated load-cell. The pre-stressing rig was based on a flat-bed design which enabled autoclave-based processing. A method was developed to end-tab the laminated prepregs prior to pre-stressing. The development of process-induced residual strain was monitored in-situ using embedded optical fibre sensors. Surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauges were used to measure the strain when the composite was unloaded from the pre-stressing rig at room temperature. Four pre-stress levels were applied prior to processing the laminated preforms in an autoclave. The results showed that the application of a pre-stress of 108 MPa to a unidirectional [0]16 E-glass/913 epoxy preform, reduced the residual strain in the composite from -600 µε (conventional processing without pre-stress) to approximately zero. A good correlation was observed between the data obtained from the surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauge and the embedded optical fibre sensors. In addition to "neutralising" the residual stresses, superior axial orientation of the reinforcement can be obtained from pre-stressed composites. A subsequent publication will highlight the consequences of pres-stressing on fibre alignment, the tensile, flexural, compressive and fatigue performance of unidirectional E-glass composites.

  20. Monitoring Pre-Stressed Composites Using Optical Fibre Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Krishnamurthy, Sriram; Badcock, Rodney A.; Machavaram, Venkata R.; Fernando, Gerard F.

    2016-01-01

    Residual stresses in fibre reinforced composites can give rise to a number of undesired effects such as loss of dimensional stability and premature fracture. Hence, there is significant merit in developing processing techniques to mitigate the development of residual stresses. However, tracking and quantifying the development of these fabrication-induced stresses in real-time using conventional non-destructive techniques is not straightforward. This article reports on the design and evaluation of a technique for manufacturing pre-stressed composite panels from unidirectional E-glass/epoxy prepregs. Here, the magnitude of the applied pre-stress was monitored using an integrated load-cell. The pre-stressing rig was based on a flat-bed design which enabled autoclave-based processing. A method was developed to end-tab the laminated prepregs prior to pre-stressing. The development of process-induced residual strain was monitored in-situ using embedded optical fibre sensors. Surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauges were used to measure the strain when the composite was unloaded from the pre-stressing rig at room temperature. Four pre-stress levels were applied prior to processing the laminated preforms in an autoclave. The results showed that the application of a pre-stress of 108 MPa to a unidirectional [0]16 E-glass/913 epoxy preform, reduced the residual strain in the composite from −600 µε (conventional processing without pre-stress) to approximately zero. A good correlation was observed between the data obtained from the surface-mounted electrical resistance strain gauge and the embedded optical fibre sensors. In addition to “neutralising” the residual stresses, superior axial orientation of the reinforcement can be obtained from pre-stressed composites. A subsequent publication will highlight the consequences of pres-stressing on fibre alignment, the tensile, flexural, compressive and fatigue performance of unidirectional E-glass composites. PMID:27240378

  1. A Fibre-Optic Communications Network for Teaching Clinical Medicine.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Robin

    1985-01-01

    Describes an interactive television system based on fiber-optic communications technology which is used to facilitate participation by University of London medical students in lecture/tutorials by teachers in different hospital locations. Highlights include advantages of fiber-optics, cable manufacture and installation, opto-electronic interface,…

  2. Measurement of the thermal expansion of melt-textured YBCO using optical fibre grating sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zeisberger, M.; Latka, I.; Ecke, W.; Habisreuther, T.; Litzkendorf, D.; Gawalek, W.

    2005-02-01

    In this paper we present measurements of the thermal expansion of melt-textured YBaCuO in the temperature range 30-300 K by means of optical fibre sensors. The sample, which had a size of 38 × 38 × 18 mm3, was prepared by our standard melt-texturing process using SmBaCuO seeds. One fibre containing three Bragg gratings which act as strain sensors was glued to the sample surface with two sensors parallel to the ab-plane and one sensor parallel to the c-axis. The sample was cooled down to a minimum temperature of 30 K in a vacuum chamber using a closed cycle refrigerator. In the temperature range we used, the thermal expansion coefficients are in the range of (3-9) × 10-6 K-1 (ab-direction) and (5-13) × 10-6 K-1 (c-direction).

  3. Selective vancomycin detection using optical fibre long period gratings functionalised with molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Korposh, Sergiy; Chianella, Iva; Guerreiro, Antonio; Caygill, Sarah; Piletsky, Sergey; James, Stephen W; Tatam, Ralph P

    2014-05-07

    An optical fibre long period grating (LPG) sensor modified with molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) for the specific detection of antibiotics is presented. The operation of the sensor is based on the measurement of changes in refractive index induced by the interaction of nanoMIPs deposited onto the cladding of the LPG with free vancomycin (VA). The binding of nanoMIPs to vancomycin was characterised by a binding constant of 4.3 ± 0.1 × 10(-8) M. The lowest concentration of analyte measured by the fibre sensor was 10 nM. In addition, the sensor exhibited selectivity, as much smaller responses were obtained for high concentrations (∼700 μM) of other commonly prescribed antibiotics such as amoxicillin, bleomycin and gentamicin. In addition, the response of the sensor was characterised in a complex matrix, porcine plasma, spiked with 10 μM of VA.

  4. Selective vancomycin detection using optical fibre long period gratings functionalised with molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    Korposh, Sergiy; Chianella, Iva; Guerreiro, Antonio; Caygill, Sarah; Piletsky, Sergey; James, Stephen W.; Tatam, Ralph P.

    2015-01-01

    An optical fibre long period grating (LPG) sensor modified with molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) for the specific detection of antibiotics is presented. The operation of the sensor is based on the measurement of changes in refractive index induced by the interaction of nanoMIPs deposited onto the cladding of the LPG with free vancomycin (VA). The binding of nanoMIPs to vancomycin was characterised by a binding constant of 4.3±0.1×10−8 M. The lowest concentration of analyte measured by the fibre sensor was 10 nM. In addition, the sensor exhibited selectivity, as much smaller responses were obtained for high concentrations (~ 700 μM) of other commonly prescribed antibiotics such as amoxicillin, bleomycin and gentamicin. In addition, the response of the sensor was characterised in a complex matrix, porcine plasma, spiked with 10 μM of VA. PMID:24634909

  5. Nonlinear optical effects in organic microstructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novikov, Vladimir B.; Mamonov, Evgeniy A.; Kopylov, Denis A.; Mitetelo, Nikolai V.; Venkatakrishnarao, D.; Narayana, YSLV; Chandrasekar, R.; Murzina, Tatiana V.

    2017-05-01

    Organic microstructures attract much attention due to their unique properties originating from the design of their shape and optical parameters. In this work we discuss the linear, second- and third-order nonlinear optical effects in arrays and in individual organic microstructures composed by self-assembling technique and formed randomly on top of a solid substrate. The structures under study consist of micro-spheres, -hemispheres or -frustums made of red laser dye and reveal an intense fluorescence (FL) in the visible spectral range. Importantly, that due to a high value of the refractive index and confined geometry, such micro-structures support the excitation of whispering gallery modes (WGM), which brings about strong and spectrally-selected light localization. We show that an amplification of the nonlinear optical effects is observed for these structures as compared to a homogeneous dye film of similar composition. The obtained data are in agreement with the results of the FDTD calculations performed for the structures of different dimensions. Perspectives of application of such type of organic nonlinear microresonators in optical devices are discussed.

  6. The use of hollow-core photonic crystal fibres as biological sensors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Malinin, A V; Skibina, Yu S; Tuchin, Valerii V

    2011-04-30

    The results of development and study of a new type of a hollow-core photonic crystal fibre with radially increasing diameter of capillaries in the structured cladding are presented. The waveguide possesses a specific transmission spectrum and can be used as an efficient analyser of biological media. (optical technologies in biophysics and medicine)

  7. Measurement of carbon nanotube microstructure relative density by optical attenuation and observation of size-dependent variations.

    PubMed

    Park, Sei Jin; Schmidt, Aaron J; Bedewy, Mostafa; Hart, A John

    2013-07-21

    Engineering the density of carbon nanotube (CNT) forest microstructures is vital to applications such as electrical interconnects, micro-contact probes, and thermal interface materials. For CNT forests on centimeter-scale substrates, weight and volume can be used to calculate density. However, this is not suitable for smaller samples, including individual microstructures, and moreover does not enable mapping of spatial density variations within the forest. We demonstrate that the relative mass density of individual CNT microstructures can be measured by optical attenuation, with spatial resolution equaling the size of the focused spot. For this, a custom optical setup was built to measure the transmission of a focused laser beam through CNT microstructures. The transmittance was correlated with the thickness of the CNT microstructures by Beer-Lambert-Bouguer law to calculate the attenuation coefficient. We reveal that the density of CNT microstructures grown by CVD can depend on their size, and that the overall density of arrays of microstructures is affected significantly by run-to-run process variations. Further, we use the technique to quantify the change in CNT microstructure density due to capillary densification. This is a useful and accessible metrology technique for CNTs in future microfabrication processes, and will enable direct correlation of density to important properties such as stiffness and electrical conductivity.

  8. Phase locking of a seven-channel continuous wave fibre laser system by a stochastic parallel gradient algorithm

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Volkov, M V; Garanin, S G; Dolgopolov, Yu V

    2014-11-30

    A seven-channel fibre laser system operated by the master oscillator – multichannel power amplifier scheme is the phase locked using a stochastic parallel gradient algorithm. The phase modulators on lithium niobate crystals are controlled by a multichannel electronic unit with the microcontroller processing signals in real time. The dynamic phase locking of the laser system with the bandwidth of 14 kHz is demonstrated, the time of phasing is 3 – 4 ms. (fibre and integrated-optical structures)

  9. Optical fibre cavity ring down measurement of refractive index with a microchannel drilled by femtosecond laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Kaiming; Webb, David; Mou, Chengbo; Farries, Mark; Hayes, Neil; Bennion, Ian

    2009-10-01

    μA microchannel was inscribed in the fibre of a ring cavity which was constructed from two 0.1%:99.9% couplers and a 10m fibre loop. Cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) was used to measure the refractive index (RI) of gels infused into the microchannel with high resolution. The ring down time discloses a nonlinear increase with respect to the RI of the gel and sensitivity up to 300μs/RI unit (RIU) and resolution of 5×10-4 were obtained.

  10. X-ray microbeam measurements with a high resolution scintillator fibre-optic dosimeter.

    PubMed

    Archer, James; Li, Enbang; Petasecca, Marco; Dipuglia, Andrew; Cameron, Matthew; Stevenson, Andrew; Hall, Chris; Hausermann, Daniel; Rosenfeld, Anatoly; Lerch, Michael

    2017-09-29

    Synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy is a novel external beam therapy under investigation, that uses highly brilliant synchrotron x-rays in microbeams 50 μm width, with separation of 400 μm, as implemented here. Due to the fine spatial fractionation dosimetry of these beams is a challenging and complicated problem. In this proof-of-concept work, we present a fibre optic dosimeter that uses plastic scintillator as the radiation conversion material. We claim an ideal one-dimensional resolution of 50 μm. Using plastic scintillator and fibre optic makes this dosimeter water-equivalent, a very desirable dosimetric property. The dosimeter was tested at the Australian Synchrotron, on the Imaging and Medical Beam-Line. The individual microbeams were able to be resolved and the peak-to-valley dose ratio and the full width at half maximum of the microbeams was measured. These results are compared to a semiconductor strip detector of the same spatial resolution. A percent depth dose was measured and compared to data acquired by an ionisation chamber. The results presented demonstrate significant steps towards the development of an optical dosimeter with the potential to be applied in quality assurance of microbeam radiation therapy, which is vital if clinical trials are to be performed on human patients.

  11. Digital frequency offset-locked He–Ne laser system with high beat frequency stability, narrow optical linewidth and optical fibre output

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sternkopf, Christian; Manske, Eberhard

    2018-06-01

    We report on the enhancement of a previously-presented heterodyne laser source on the basis of two phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency coupled internal-mirror He–Ne lasers. Our new system consists of two digitally controlled He–Ne lasers with slightly different wavelengths, and offers high-frequency stability and very narrow optical linewidth. The digitally controlled system has been realized by using a FPGA controller and transconductance amplifiers. The light of both lasers was coupled into separate fibres for heterodyne interferometer applications. To enhance the laser performance we observed the sensitivity of both laser tubes to electromagnetic noise from various laser power supplies and frequency control systems. Furthermore, we describe how the linewidth of a frequency-controlled He–Ne laser can be reduced during precise frequency stabilisation. The digitally controlled laser source reaches a standard beat frequency deviation of less than 20 Hz (with 1 s gate time) and a spectral full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the beat signal less than 3 kHz. The laser source has enough optical output power to serve a fibre-coupled multi axis heterodyne interferometer. The system can be adjusted to output beat frequencies in the range of 0.1 MHz–20 MHz.

  12. Structure of anodized Al-Zr sputter deposited coatings and effect on optical appearance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gudla, Visweswara Chakravarthy; Canulescu, Stela; Shabadi, Rajashekhara; Rechendorff, Kristian; Dirscherl, Kai; Ambat, Rajan

    2014-10-01

    The mechanism of interaction of light with the microstructure of anodized layer giving specific optical appearance is investigated using Al-Zr sputter deposited coating as a model system on an AA6060 substrate. Differences in the oxidative nature of various microstructural components result in the evolution of typical features in the anodized layer, which are investigated as a function of microstructure and correlated with its optical appearance. The Zr concentration in the coating was varied from 6 wt.% to 23 wt.%. Heat treatment of the coated samples was carried out at 550 °C for 4 h in order to evolve Al-Zr based second phase precipitates in the microstructure. Anodizing was performed using 20 wt.% sulphuric acid at 18 °C with an intention to study the effect of anodizing on the Al-Zr based precipitates in the coating. Detailed microstructural characterization of the coating and anodized layer was carried out using high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, and optical appearance using spectrophotometry. The evolution of microstructure in the anodized layer as a function of anodizing parameters and their influence on the interaction of light is investigated and the results in general are applicable to discolouration of anodized layer on recycled aluminium alloys due to intermetallics.

  13. FOSREM - Fibre-Optic System for Rotational Events&Phenomena Monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaroszewicz, Leszek; Krajewski, Zbigniew; Kurzych, Anna; Kowalski, Jerzy; Teisseyre, Krzysztof

    2016-04-01

    We present the construction and tests of fiber-optic rotational seismometer named FOSREM (Fibre-Optic System for Rotational Events&Phenomena Monitoring). This presented device is designed for detection and monitoring the one-axis rotational motions, brought about to ground or human-made structures both by seismic events and the creep processes. The presented system works by measuring Sagnac effect and generally consists of two basic elements: optical sensor and electronic part. The optical sensor is based on so-called the minimum configuration of FOG (Fibre-Optic Gyroscope) where the Sagnac effect produces a phase shift between two counter-propagating light beams proportional to the measured rotation speed. The main advantage of the sensor of this type is its complete insensitivity to linear motions and a direct measurement of rotational speed. It may work even when tilted, moreover, used in continuous mode it may record the tilt. The electronic system, involving specific electronic solutions, calculates and records rotational events data by realizing synchronous in a digital form by using 32 bit DSP (Digital Signal Processing). Storage data and system control are realised over the internet by using connection between FOSREM and GSM/GPS. The most significant attribute of our system is possibility to measure rotation in wide range both amplitude up to 10 rad/s and frequency up to 328.12 Hz. Application of the wideband, low coherence and high power superluminescent diode with long fibre loop and suitable low losses optical elements assures the theoretical sensitivity of the system equal to 2·10-8 rad/s/Sqrt(Hz). Moreover, the FOSREM is fully remote controlled as well as is suited for continuous, autonomous work in very long period of time (weeks, months, even years), so it is useful for systematic seismological investigation at any place. Possible applications of this system include seismic monitoring in observatories, buildings, mines and even on glaciers and in their vicinity. In geodetic, geomorphological and glaciological survey, joint measurement of tilt and seismic phenomena using a set of three FOSREM devices oriented in perpendicular planes would enable to collect very important information.

  14. An Innovative Context-Based Module to Introduce Students to the Optical Properties of Materials

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Testa, I.; Lombardi, S.; Monroy, G.; Sassi, E.

    2011-01-01

    A context-based module to introduce secondary school students to the study of the optical properties of materials and geometric optics is presented. The module implements an innovative teaching approach in which the behaviour of the chosen application, in this article, the optical fibre, is iteratively explored and modelled by means of a…

  15. SUNRISE: A SpaceFibre Router

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parkes, Steve; McClements, Chris; McLaren, David; Florit, Albert Ferrer; Gonzalez Villafranca, Alberto

    2016-08-01

    SpaceFibre is a new generation of SpaceWire technology which is able to support the very high data- rates required by sensors like SAR and multi-spectral imagers. Data rates of between 1 and 16 Gbits/s are required to support several sensors currently being planned. In addition a mass-memory unit requires high performance networking to interconnect many memory modules. SpaceFibre runs over both electrical and fibre-optic media and provides and adds quality of service and fault detection, isolation and recovery technology to the network. SpaceFibre is compatible with the widely used SpaceWire protocol at the network level allowing existing SpaceWire devices to be readily incorporated into a SpaceFibre network. SpaceFibre provides 2 to 5 Gbits/s links (2.5 to 6.25 Gbits/s data signalling rate) which can be operated in parallel (multi-laning) to give higher data rates. STAR- Dundee with University of Dundee has designed and tested several SpaceFibre interface devices.The SUNRISE project is a UK Space Agency, Centre for Earth Observation and Space Technology (CEOI- ST) project in which STAR-Dundee and University of Dundee will design and prototype critical SpaceFibre router technology necessary for future on-board data- handling systems. This will lay a vital foundation for future very high data-rate sensor and telecommunications systems.This paper give a brief introduction to SpaceFibre, explains the operation of a SpaceFibre network, and then describes the SUNRISE SpaceFibre Router. The initial results of the SUNRISE project are described.

  16. Effect of TiN coating on microstructure of Tif/Al composite.

    PubMed

    Xiu, Z Y; Chen, G Q; Wang, M; Hussain, Murid

    2013-02-01

    In the present work, Ti fibre reinforced Al matrix composites (Ti(f)/Al) were fabricated by pressure infiltration method. In order to suppress the severe Ti-Al reaction and reduce the formation of brittle TiAl(3) phase, a TiN layer was coated on Ti fibres by an arc ion plating method before composite preparation. A thin TiN layer was coated on the Ti fibre surface, and the maximum and minimum thickness values of layer were about 3.5 and 1μm, respectively. Prefer orientation of TiN on (111) and (200) was found by XRD analysis. A thin and uniform TiAl(3) layer was observed in Ti(f)/Al composite. However, after coated with TiN layer, no significant reaction layer was found in (Ti(f)+TiN)/Al composite. Segregation of Mg element was found in Ti(f)/Al composite, and the presence of TiN layer showed little effect on this behaviour. Due to the large CTE difference between Ti fibre and Al matrix, high density dislocations were observed in the Al matrix. Meanwhile, fine dispersed Mg(2)Al(3) phases were also found in Al matrix. Ti fibre is mainly composed of α- and β-Ti. Small discontinuous needle-like TiAl(3) phases were detected at TiN/Al interface, which implies that the presence of TiN layer between the Ti fibre and Al matrix could effectively hinder the formation of TiAl(3) phases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The impact of fibre orientation on T1-relaxation and apparent tissue water content in white matter.

    PubMed

    Schyboll, Felix; Jaekel, Uwe; Weber, Bernd; Neeb, Heiko

    2018-02-20

    Recent MRI studies have shown that the orientation of nerve fibres relative to the main magnetic field affects the R 2 *(= 1/T 2 *) relaxation rate in white matter (WM) structures. The underlying physical causes have been discussed in several studies but are still not completely understood. However, understanding these effects in detail is of great importance since this might serve as a basis for the development of new diagnostic tools and/or improve quantitative susceptibility mapping techniques. Therefore, in addition to the known angular dependence of R 2 *, the current study investigates the relationship between fibre orientation and the longitudinal relaxation rate, R 1 (= 1/T 1 ), as well as the apparent water content. For a group of 16 healthy subjects, a series of gradient echo, echo-planar and diffusion weighted images were acquired at 3T from which the decay rates, the apparent water content and the diffusion direction were reconstructed. The diffusion weighted data were used to determine the angle between the principle fibre direction and the main magnetic field to examine the angular dependence of R 1 and apparent water content. The obtained results demonstrate that both parameters depend on the fibre orientation and exhibit a positive correlation with the angle between fibre direction and main magnetic field. These observations could be helpful to improve and/or constrain existing biophysical models of brain microstructure by imposing additional constraints resulting from the observed angular dependence R 1 and apparent water content in white matter.

  18. Fibre systems for future astronomy: anomalous wavelength-temperature effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poppett, C. L.; Allington-Smith, J. R.

    2007-07-01

    Focal ratio degradation is an important property of optical fibres that determines the design and cost of instruments using fibres. Motivated by the importance of fibres in feeding instruments on Extremely Large Telescopes, the need for cryogenic-cooling to reduce thermal background and the desire for broad-band performance, we have studied the dependency of focal ratio degradation (FRD) on both temperature and wavelength. This shows a small but significant reduction in performance when cooled as expected from previous work. We also find an increase in FRD with wavelength broadly consistent with theory at room temperature but this dependency reverses in sign when the fibres are cooled to 77K, contrary to existing theory. We parameterize the wavelength dependency by an ad hoc extension to an existing model but it is clear that existing theory does not provide a good description of the operation of fibres in astronomical systems. This unexpected behaviour, which may relate to frozen-in stress from the manufacturing process, will need to be taken into account when designing future fibre systems.

  19. Micro/Nanofibre Optical Sensors: Challenges and Prospects

    PubMed Central

    Tong, Limin

    2018-01-01

    Micro/nanofibres (MNFs) are optical fibres with diameters close to or below the vacuum wavelength of visible or near-infrared light. Due to its wavelength- or sub-wavelength scale diameter and relatively large index contrast between the core and cladding, an MNF can offer engineerable waveguiding properties including optical confinement, fractional evanescent fields and surface intensity, which is very attractive to optical sensing on the micro and nanometer scale. In particular, the waveguided low-loss tightly confined large fractional evanescent fields, enabled by atomic level surface roughness and extraordinary geometric and material uniformity in a glass MNF, is one of its most prominent merits in realizing optical sensing with high sensitivity and great versatility. Meanwhile, the mesoporous matrix and small diameter of a polymer MNF, make it an excellent host fibre for functional materials for fast-response optical sensing. In this tutorial, we first introduce the basics of MNF optics and MNF optical sensors, and review the progress and current status of this field. Then, we discuss challenges and prospects of MNF sensors to some extent, with several clues for future studies. Finally, we conclude with a brief outlook for MNF optical sensors.

  20. Comparing modal noise and FRD of circular and non-circular cross-section fibres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sablowski, D. P.; Plüschke, D.; Weber, M.; Strassmeier, K. G.; Järvinen, A.

    2016-03-01

    Modal noise is a common source of noise introduced to the measurements by optical fibres and is particularly important for fibre-fed spectroscopic instruments, especially for high-resolution measurements. This noise source can limit the signal-to-noise ratio and jeopardize photon-noise limited data. The subject of the present work is to compare measurements of modal noise and focal-ratio degradation (FRD) for several commonly used fibres. We study the influence of a simple mechanical scrambling method (excenter) on both FRD and modal noise. Measurements are performed with circular and octagonal fibres from Polymicro Technology (FBP-Series) with diameters of 100, 200, and 300 μm and for square and rectangular fibres from CeramOptec, among others. FRD measurements for the same sample of fibres are performed as a function of wavelength. Furthermore, we replaced the circular fibre of the STELLA-échelle-spectrograph (SES) in Tenerife with an octagonal and found a SNR increase by a factor of 1.6 at 678 nm. It is shown in the laboratory that an excenter with a large amplitude and low frequency will not influence the FRD but will reduce modal noise rather effectively by up to 180%.

Top