Componentes em fibra ótica para comunicações óticas e sensores

Doutoramento em Engenharia FísicaNos últimos anos, a Optoelectrónica tem sido estabelecida como um campo de investigação capaz de conduzir a novas soluções tecnológicas. As conquistas abundantes no campo da óptica e lasers, bem como em comunicações ópticas têm sido de grande importância e desencadearam uma série de inovações. Entre o grande número de componentes ópticos existentes, os componentes baseados em fibra óptica são principalmente relevantes devido à sua simplicidade e à elevada de transporte de dados da fibra óptica. Neste trabalho foi focado um destes componentes ópticos: as redes de difracção em fibra óptica, as quais têm propriedades ópticas de processamento únicas. Esta classe de componentes ópticos é extremamente atraente para o desenvolvimento de dispositivos de comunicações ópticas e sensores. O trabalho começou com uma análise teórica aplicada a redes em fibra e foram focados os métodos de fabricação de redes em fibra mais utilizados. A inscrição de redes em fibra também foi abordado neste trabalho, onde um sistema de inscrição automatizada foi implementada para a fibra óptica de sílica, e os resultados experimentais mostraram uma boa aproximação ao estudo de simulação. Também foi desenvolvido um sistema de inscrição de redes de Bragg em fibra óptica de plástico. Foi apresentado um estudo detalhado da modulação acústico-óptica em redes em fibra óptica de sílica e de plástico. Por meio de uma análise detalhada dos modos de excitação mecânica aplicadas ao modulador acústico-óptico, destacou-se que dois modos predominantes de excitação acústica pode ser estabelecidos na fibra óptica, dependendo da frequência acústica aplicada. Através dessa caracterização, foi possível desenvolver novas aplicações para comunicações ópticas. Estudos e implementação de diferentes dispositivos baseados em redes em fibra foram realizados, usando o efeito acústico-óptico e o processo de regeneração em fibra óptica para várias aplicações tais como rápido multiplexador óptico add-drop, atraso de grupo sintonizável de redes de Bragg, redes de Bragg com descolamento de fase sintonizáveis, método para a inscrição de redes de Bragg com perfis complexos, filtro sintonizável para equalização de ganho e filtros ópticos notch ajustáveis.In the last years, the Optoelectronics has been established as a top field of research able to drive towards new technological solutions. The abundant achievements in the field of optics as well in optical communications have been of great importance and triggered a number of innovations. Among the large group of existing optical components, optical fiber components are mainly relevant due to three factors: their simplicity, their nature as an optical fiber based component and the capability of optical fiber to carry information. In this thesis the focus was on one of these optical components: optical fiber gratings, which have unique optical processing properties and are quite interesting for the development of devices for optical communications and sensing applications. The work started with a theoretical analysis applied to fiber gratings and continues with the most used fiber gratings production methods. The inscription of fiber gratings was also addressed in this work, where an automated inscription setup has been implemented for silica fiber, and experimental results showed a good approximation to the simulation study. Also, the inscription setup for gratings in polymer optical fiber was developed. A detailed analysis of the acousto-optic modulation in fiber gratings in silica and polymer optical fiber was presented. By means of a detailed analysis of the mechanical excitation modes applied to the modulator set, it was noticed that two predominant modes of acoustic excitation can be found in the optical fiber depending on the applied acoustic frequency. Through this characterization, it was possible to develop new applications. Studies and implementation of different devices based on fiber gratings were performed, using acousto-optic effect and regeneration process in optical fiber for photonic applications such as fast add-drop multiplexer, tunability of the fiber Bragg grating group delay, tunable phase-shift fiber Bragg grating, tunable mode coupler, method for inscription of complex fiber Bragg grating profiles, gain equalization filter and adjustable notch filters

Detailed spatial-spectral numerical characterization of axially symmetric broadband ultrasonic resonances in standard optical fibers

Standard single mode optical fibers (SMFs) have been widely employed to generate and measure ultrasonic signals in remarkable applications. In particular, optoacoustic fiber sensors provide unique features for microscale high resolution ultrasound imaging in biomedicine. However, at specific resonance frequencies, SMFs work as acoustic filters inducing relevant geometrical attenuation bands higher than 10 dB, which limit the sensors’ sensitivity and frequency operation, causing image distortions and artifacts. We have numerically demonstrated high frequency axially symmetric ultrasonic resonances inside an optical fiber for the first time. The propagation of resonant axially symmetric acoustic modes along 1 cm fiber is investigated by means of 2D and 3D finite element techniques up to 80 MHz. The dispersion of the modes and induced beatlengths are characterized from the complex multimode interference with the 2D Fourier transform. The simulated spectra are validated with the renowned Pochhammer-Chree analytical equations. The frequency response of the acoustically induced strains in the fiber core is evaluated, and important acoustic parameters relevant for the modulation of phase, wavelength and power in optical fibers and diffractive gratings are derived and discussed. The results show that these resonances are strongly dependent on the modal beatlengths. Solutions to improve the operation of fiber-based devices are proposed, pointing out new alternatives to advance broadband optoacoustic sensors and monolithic acousto-optic modulators

Optical Fibre Sensors applied to condition and structural monitoring for the marine and rail transport sectors

This thesis reports the development of a suite of FBG-based optical fibre sensors for non-destructive testing (NDT) and illustrating their potential for several specific industrial applications in the marine and railway sectors. These arose from work driven by the needs of project collaborators from these industries and are intended to be illustrative of the wider potential applications that optical fibre sensors have for measurements in different industrial sectors. The research has involved the development of new sensor system designs to meet these needs, building as they do upon a comprehensive review of NDT technologies and solutions, discussed in some detail. In this research for the marine sector, a single FBG-based acoustic sensor was specifically developed and evaluated and compared with the performance of conventional sensors. To do so, a metal plate to which the sensors were fixed was excited with a sonotrode, at a resonant frequency of 19.5 kHz. The signal reflecting that acoustic excitation was captured by the FBG sensors designed and implemented and their performance has been shown to be comparable with that from conventional, industry-standard piezoelectric transducers (PZTs). Preliminary work undertaken for the sponsors then lead to the further development of an acoustic sensor array comprising of 3 FBGs, which was subsequently validated against co-located PZTs which all were installed on a glass plate and excited in an industry-standard way, through the acoustic signal from a 0.2 g steel ball dropped onto the plate. When signals were analysed and compared, the positive comparative performance outcomes from the sensors used enabled further the design and implementation of instrumentation for a marine lifting surface using a different array, designed comprising 4 FBG-based acoustic sensors. Extensive tests on the smart marine lifting surface created were undertaken under water with a sonotrode set at 26 kHz as an excitation source. Based on the arrival time of acoustic signals captured by each grating and the use of triangulation method, the location of the excitation source could thus be determined, to meet the needs of the industrial sponsor and show good agreement with the outputs of conventional sensor systems. In parallel with the above, a further new industrial application of FBG-based sensor arrays was developed for a major player in the field, for the first time successfully instrumenting a railway current-collecting pantograph to allow reliable, remote in situ monitoring of key parameters: the contact force and contact location of the pantograph against the catenary. The optical fibre sensor approach has been shown to be an excellent means of measurement whose performance can be extrapolated to situations where the train is driven at high speeds up to 125 mph and powered from a high voltage line at 25 kV, in this design taking full advantages of the immunity of the optical fibre sensors to electromagnetic interference. In this research, key technical performance challenges were addressed and successfully overcome, including the temperature compensation needed for ‘all-weather’ performance, due to the intrinsic cross-sensitivity problems of using a FBG-based design being been fully addressed. This ensures the accurate measurement of the contact force/location between the pantograph and the catenary under all weathers. The research concludes by considering future directions for the work in these and other industry sectors

'ACOUSTO-OPTIC SENSING FOR SAFE MRI PROCEDURES'

In this work, a novel sensor platform is developed for safer and more effective magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is achieved by tracking interventional devices, such as guidewires and catheters during interventional MRI procedures, and by measuring the radio frequency (RF) field to assess RF safety of patients with implants, such as pacemakers, during diagnostic MRI. The sensor is based on an acousto-optic modulator coupled with a miniature antenna. This structure is realized on an optical fiber which is immune to the RF field and eliminates the need for conducting lines. The acousto-optic modulator consists of a piezo-electric transducer and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The piezoelectric transducer is electrically connected to the miniature antenna and mechanically coupled to the FBG. Local RF signal received by the miniature antenna is converted to acoustic waves by the piezoelectric transducer. Acoustic waves change the grating geometry on the FBG, thus the reflected light from the FBG is modulated. For diagnostic imaging, short dipole antennas are used for sensing the local electric field, which is the primary cause of RF induced heating. For tracking purposes, small loop antennas are used for capturing local MRI signal which contains the location information. In this thesis, a comprehensive model for the acousto-optic modulator is developed and validated through sensitivity and linearity tests. Prototype RF field sensors are built and characterized: sensitivity of 1.36mV/nT and 98 μV/V/m with minimum detectable field strength of 8.2pT/√Hz and 2.7V/m/√Hz and dynamic range of 117dB/√Hz at 23MHz are achieved with 4mm single loop and 8mm short dipole antennas, respectively. These figures are competitive with commercial sensors with much larger form factors. Catheter tracking capability of the sensor under MRI is demonstrated in-vivo in swine in a 0.55T scanner using an 8F catheter in addition to phantom studies under 0.55T and 1.5T clinical MRI systems.Ph.D

Advances and new applications using the acousto-optic effect in optical fibers

This work presents a short review of the current research on the acousto-optic mechanism applied to optical fibers. The role of the piezoelectric element and the acousto-optic modulator in the excitation of flexural and longitudinal acoustic modes in the frequency range up to 1.2 MHz is highlighted. A combination of the finite elements and the transfer matrix methods is used to simulate the interaction of the waves with Bragg and long period gratings. Results show a very good agreement with experimental data. Recent applications such as the writing of gratings under the acoustic excitation and a novel viscometer sensor based on the acousto-optic mechanism are discussed

Acoustic Waves

The concept of acoustic wave is a pervasive one, which emerges in any type of medium, from solids to plasmas, at length and time scales ranging from sub-micrometric layers in microdevices to seismic waves in the Sun's interior. This book presents several aspects of the active research ongoing in this field. Theoretical efforts are leading to a deeper understanding of phenomena, also in complicated environments like the solar surface boundary. Acoustic waves are a flexible probe to investigate the properties of very different systems, from thin inorganic layers to ripening cheese to biological systems. Acoustic waves are also a tool to manipulate matter, from the delicate evaporation of biomolecules to be analysed, to the phase transitions induced by intense shock waves. And a whole class of widespread microdevices, including filters and sensors, is based on the behaviour of acoustic waves propagating in thin layers. The search for better performances is driving to new materials for these devices, and to more refined tools for their analysis

Impact detection techniques using fibre-optic sensors for aerospace & defence

Impact detection techniques are developed for application in the aerospace and defence industries. Optical fibre sensors hold great promise for structural health monitoring systems and methods of interrogating fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) are investigated given the need for dynamic strain capture and multiplexed sensors. An arrayed waveguide grating based interrogator is developed. The relationships between key performance indicators, such as strain range and linearity of response, and parameters such as the FBG length and spectral width are determined. It was found that the inclusion of a semiconductor optical amplifier could increase the signal-to-noise ratio by ~300% as the system moves to its least sensitive. An alternative interrogator is investigated utilising two wave mixing in erbium-doped fibre in order to create an adaptive system insensitive to quasistatic strain and temperature drifts. Dynamic strain sensing was demonstrated at 200 Hz which remained functional while undergoing a temperature shift of 8.5 °C. In addition, software techniques are investigated for locating impact events on a curved composite structure using both time-of-flight triangulation and neural networks. A feature characteristic of composite damage creation is identified in dynamic signals captured during impact. An algorithm is developed which successfully distinguishes between signals characteristic of a non-damaging impact with those from a damaging impact with a classification accuracy of 93 – 96%. Finally, a demonstrator system is produced to exhibit some of the techniques developed in this thesis

Characterization and new applications of the acousto-optic effect in fiber gratings

In this work, the fundamentals of the acousto-optic modulation in diffraction gratings are presented. By means of a detailed analysis of the mechanical excitation modes applied to the modulator set, it was noticed that two predominant modes of acoustic excitation can be found in the optical fiber depending on the applied acoustic frequency. Through this characterization, it was possible to develop new applications, such as a fast acousto-optic add-drop multiplexing for optical channels, which produces one of the fastest switching device presented in the literature, a narrow tunable single channel dispersion compensator, a tunable optical filter based on the acousto-optic modulation of a phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating, a new method to control the spectrum of Bragg gratings during the writing process and a viscosity sensor, whose application can be considered the most promising.CAPES; CNPqNeste trabalho, os fundamentos da modulação acusto-óptica em redes de difração são apresentados. Através de uma análise detalhada dos modos de excitação mecânicos, mostrou-se que dois tipos predominantes de excitação acústica podem ser encontrados na fibra óptica dependendo da frequência acústica aplicada. Através da caracterização do modulador acusto-óptico, foi possível desenvolver novas aplicações, dentre as quais pode-se citar um dispositivo de inserção e retirada de canais em links ópticos cuja velocidade de chaveamento é uma das maiores apresentadas até agora na literatura, um compensador de dispersão sintonizável de banda estreita, um filtro óptico baseado na modulação acusto-óptica de uma rede de Bragg com uma diferença de fase, um novo método para controlar a escrita de redes de Bragg durante o processo de gravação utilizando-se da técnica da máscara de fase e um sensor de viscosidade, cuja aplicação pode ser considerada a mais promissora

Optical methods of acoustic detection

This thesis details the experimental investigation of a fibre Bragg gratings (FBG) as to its suitability as a point ultrasonic sensor for medical applications, the FBG being interrogated by a low-coherence psuedo-heterodyne technique. The noise-limited pressure resolution of the FBG sensor was found to be 4.5kPa/√Hz at a frequency of 1.911 MHz. The ability of the FBG sensor to accurately determine the spatial field profile from a focussed ultrasonic transducer was also investigated and compared with results obtained from a commercially available piezoelectric hydrophone. Ultrasonic shielding materials on the bare optical fibre were also experimentally investigated in an attempt to provide a more localised grating response to the ultrasonic field. The ultrasonic response of low-finesse Fabry-Perot cavities based around 50pm thick polymer films was also investigated as a potential alternative to the use of fibre Bragg gratings, the cavity being interrogated by a low-coherence interferometric heterodyne technique. The noise-limited pressure resolution for a low-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity based on a 50pm thick polyethylene teraphthalate film was found to be 72 Pa/√Hz at an ultrasonic frequency of 1.911 MHz and 11 Pa/√Hz at 612 kHz. The ability of this cavity sensor to spatially resolve the ultrasonic field profile was also examined experimentally. Finally, the use of in-fibre Er3+ FBG based lasers as acoustic sensors in the frequency range 200Hz- 20 kHz was examined experimentally using a heterodyne interferometric interrogation method to assess the potential of these devices as highly sensitive acoustic sensors for military applications. The noise limited pressure resolution of the most sensitive fibre laser was found to be 4 x 1O$^{-3}$ Pa/√Hz over a frequency range of 4-6 kHz. An array of 4 distributed feedback fibre lasers was constructed and two separate methods of demultiplexing the laser array were compared and contrasted. The limiting system noise sources were also measured where possible