Miniature sensors distributed along an optical fiber

iXFiber presents its new range of miniature sensors distributed along an optical fiber.

These sensors arrays are based on the Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) technology.
Thanks to its compactness and low intrusiveness, this solution can, for instance, be embedded into a material with numerous advantages like multiplexing, multi-point and multi-parameter measurement, lack of electrical distribution, no corrosion, resistance to ionizing radiation, high resistance to dynamic fatigue and excellent load transfer...

Moreover, it can be used in harsh environments (temperature, electromagnetic field).
Strain, pressure or temperature induce variations in the wavelength of each FBG reflector.
This wavelength shift is directly proportional to the quantity to be measured.
Reflectors have a wavelength available in the range 700-2100 nm and a bandwidth that is typically a fraction of a nanometer.

Reflectivity is about 50 to 99.9% with an out-band isolation that can be higher than 25 dB in the C + L bands to increase the density of sensors on a given spectral range.
These robust components can be supplied on a standard fiber 125/250 µm (cladding / coating diameters), non intrusive 80/170 µm fiber and polyimide coated 125/145 µm fiber.
The operating temperature ranges from -190 to 300 ° C, depending on the type of coating.
The system for the remote monitoring of sensors can be a broadband source coupled to an optical spectrum analyzer, or a tunable laser coupled to a photodiode.