Ratiometric fiber optic sensor utilizing a fused biconically tapered coupler

Abstract

It was found that the coupling ratio of a fused biconically tapered coupler changes when the coupler is subjected to an axially applied mechanical strain. A new type of ratiometric fiber- optic sensor, based on this principle, was developed. Due to analog signal conditioning, this sensor is insensitive to fluctuations in the light source power and has an output that is directly proportional to the measurand. Temperature and strain sensors with a linear output were realized by employing this method.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.