Fiber-optic temperature sensor using a spectrum-modulating semiconductor etalon

Described is a fiber-optic temperature sensor that uses a spectrum modulating SiC etalon. The spectral output of this type of sensor may be analyzed to obtain a temperature measurement which is largely independent of the transmission properties of the sensor's fiber-optic link. A highly precise laboratory spectrometer is described in detail, and this instrument is used to study the properties of this type of sensor. Also described are a number of different spectrum analyzers that are more suitable for use in a practical thermometer

Phase-stepping fiber-optic projected fringe system for surface topography measurements

A projected fringe interferometer for measuring the topography of an object is presented. The interferometer periodically steps the phase angle between a pair of light beams emanating from a common source. The steps are pi/2 radians (90 deg) apart, and at each step a video image of the fringes is recorded and stored. Photodetectors measure either the phase and theta of the beams or 2(theta). Either of the measures can be used to control one of the light beams so that the 90 deg theta is accurately maintained. A camera, a computer, a phase controller, and a phase modulator established closed-loop control of theta. Measuring the phase map of a flat surface establishes a calibration reference

Spectrum-modulating fiber-optic sensors for aircraft control systems

A family of fiber-optic sensors for aircraft engine control systems is described. Each of these sensors uses a spectrum-modulation method to obtain an output which is largely independent of the fiber link transmissivity. A position encoder is described which uses a code plate to digitally modulate the sensor output spectrum. Also described are pressure and temperature sensors, each of which uses a Fabry-Perot cavity to modulate the sensor output spectrum as a continuous function of the measurand. A technique is described whereby a collection of these sensors may be effectively combined to perform a number of the measurements which are required by an aircraft-engine control system

Fiber-optic projected-fringe digital interferometry

A phase-stepped projected-fringe interferometer was developed which uses a closed-loop fiber-optic phase-control system to make very accurate surface profile measurements. The closed-loop phase-control system greatly reduces phase-stepping error, which is frequently the dominant source of error in digital interferometers. Two beams emitted from a fiber-optic coupler are combined to form an interference fringe pattern on a diffusely reflecting object. Reflections off of the fibers' output faces are used to create a phase-indicating signal for the closed-loop optical phase controller. The controller steps the phase difference between the two beams by pi/2 radians in order to determine the object's surface profile using a solid-state camera and a computer. The system combines the ease of alignment and automated data reduction of phase-stepping projected-fringe interferometry with the greatly improved phase-stepping accuracy of our closed-loop phase-controller. The system is demonstrated by measuring the profile of a plate containing several convex surfaces whose heights range from 15 to 25 micron high

Active phase compensation system for fiber optic holography

Fiber optic delivery systems promise to extend the application of holography to severe environments by simplifying test configurations and permitting the laser to be remotely placed in a more benign location. However, the introduction of optical fiber leads to phase stability problems. Environmental effects cause the pathlengths of the fibers to change randomly, preventing the formation of stationary interference patterns which are required for holography. An active phase control system has been designed and used with an all-fiber optical system to stabilize the phase difference between light emitted from two fibers, and to step the phase difference by 90 deg without applying any constraints on the placement of the fibers. The accuracy of the phase steps is shown to be better than 0.02 deg., and a stable phase difference can be maintained for 30 min. This system can be applied to both conventional and electro-optic holography, as well as to any system where the maintenance of an accurate phase difference between two coherent beams is required

Speckle interferometry using fiber optic phase stepping

A system employing closed-loop phase-stepping is used to measure the out-of-plane deformation of a diffusely reflecting object. Optical fibers are used to provide reference and object beam illumination for a standard two-beam speckle interferometer, providing set-up flexibility and ease of alignment. Piezoelectric fiber-stretchers and a phase-measurement/servo system are used to provide highly accurate phase steps. Intensity data is captured with a charge-injection-device camera, and is converted into a phase map using a desktop computer. The closed-loop phase-stepping system provides 90 deg phase steps which are accurate to 0.02 deg, greatly improving this system relative to open-loop interferometers. The system is demonstrated on a speckle interferometer, measuring the rigid-body translation of a diffusely reflecting object with an accuracy + or - 10 deg, or roughly + or - 15 nanometers. This accuracy is achieved without the use of a pneumatically mounted optics table

Fiber-Optic Temperature Sensor Using a Thin-Film Fabry-Perot Interferometer

A fiber-optic temperature sensor was developed that is rugged, compact, stable, and can be inexpensively fabricated. This thin-film interferometric temperature sensor was shown to be capable of providing a +/- 2 C accuracy over the range of -55 to 275 C, throughout a 5000 hr operating life. A temperature-sensitive thin-film Fabry-Perot interferometer can be deposited directly onto the end of a multimode optical fiber. This batch-fabricatable sensor can be manufactured at a much lower cost than can a presently available sensor, which requires the mechanical attachment of a Fabry-Perot interferometer to a fiber. The principal disadvantage of the thin-film sensor is its inherent instability, due to the low processing temperatures that must be used to prevent degradation of the optical fiber's buffer coating. The design of the stable thin-film temperature sensor considered the potential sources of both short and long term drifts. The temperature- sensitive Fabry-Perot interferometer was a silicon film with a thickness of approx. 2 microns. A laser-annealing process was developed which crystallized the silicon film without damaging the optical fiber. The silicon film was encapsulated with a thin layer of Si3N4 over coated with aluminum. Crystallization of the silicon and its encapsulation with a highly stable, impermeable thin-film structure were essential steps in producing a sensor with the required long-term stability

Advanced Packaging Technology Used in Fabricating a High-Temperature Silicon Carbide Pressure Sensor

The development of new aircraft engines requires the measurement of pressures in hot areas such as the combustor and the final stages of the compressor. The needs of the aircraft engine industry are not fully met by commercially available high-temperature pressure sensors, which are fabricated using silicon. Kulite Semiconductor Products and the NASA Glenn Research Center have been working together to develop silicon carbide (SiC) pressure sensors for use at high temperatures. At temperatures above 850 F, silicon begins to lose its nearly ideal elastic properties, so the output of a silicon pressure sensor will drift. SiC, however, maintains its nearly ideal mechanical properties to extremely high temperatures. Given a suitable sensor material, a key to the development of a practical high-temperature pressure sensor is the package. A SiC pressure sensor capable of operating at 930 F was fabricated using a newly developed package. The durability of this sensor was demonstrated in an on-engine test. The SiC pressure sensor uses a SiC diaphragm, which is fabricated using deep reactive ion etching. SiC strain gauges on the surface of the diaphragm sense the pressure difference across the diaphragm. Conventionally, the SiC chip is mounted to the package with the strain gauges outward, which exposes the sensitive metal contacts on the chip to the hostile measurement environment. In the new Kulite leadless package, the SiC chip is flipped over so that the metal contacts are protected from oxidation by a hermetic seal around the perimeter of the chip. In the leadless package, a conductive glass provides the electrical connection between the pins of the package and the chip, which eliminates the fragile gold wires used previously. The durability of the leadless SiC pressure sensor was demonstrated when two 930 F sensors were tested in the combustor of a Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series engine. Since the gas temperatures in these locations reach 1200 to 1300 F, the sensors were installed in water-cooled jackets, as shown. This was a severe test because the pressure-sensing chips were exposed to the hot combustion gases. Prior to the installation of the SiC pressure sensors, two high-temperature silicon sensors, installed in the same locations, did not survive a single engine run. The durability of the leadless SiC pressure sensor was demonstrated when both SiC sensors operated properly throughout the two runs that were conducted

Silicon-etalon fiber-optic temperature sensor

A temperature sensor is described which consists of a silicon etalon that is sputtered directly onto the end of an optical fiber. A two-layer protective cap structure is used to improve the sensor's long-term stability. The sensor's output is wavelength encoded to provide a high degree of immunity from cable and connector effects. This sensor is extremely compact and potentially inexpensive

Calculated Coupling Efficiency Between an Elliptical-Core Optical Fiber and a Silicon Oxynitride Rib Waveguide [Corrected Copy]

The effective-index method and Marcatili's technique were utilized independently to calculate the electric field profile of a rib channel waveguide. Using the electric field profile calculated from each method, the theoretical coupling efficiency between a single-mode optical fiber and a rib waveguide was calculated using the overlap integral. Perfect alignment was assumed and the coupling efficiency calculated. The coupling efficiency calculation was then repeated for a range of transverse offsets