Compact fiber strain sensor fabricated by a CO2 laser

Opt Lett. 2020 Aug 1;45(15):4156-4159. doi: 10.1364/OL.391593.

Abstract

In this Letter, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, parallel inclined planes long period fiber grating (PIP-LPFG) for strain measurement is proposed. This structure is fabricated by a high frequency CO2 laser, which has polished periodic parallel inclined planes on a single mode fiber (SMF). Refractive index modulation (RIM) over a large area on the surface of the SMF significantly shortens the total length of the grating, and the structure of parallel inclined planes efficiently enhance the strain sensitivity of PIP-LPFG. Experimental results show that this LPFG with a miniature length of 3.9 mm has a good repeatability and stability of strain response, which can reach to 116 pm/µε in the dynamic range of 0-425 µε. Meanwhile, the temperature sensitivity of PIP-LPFG is 54.7 pm/°C in the dynamic range of 30-170°C.