Fiber Optic Sensors for Military, Industrial and Commercial Applications

Abstract

This paper presents concepts for fiber optic sensors. Such sensors have many inherent advantages over conventional sensors - including digital format and noise immunity. Four examples of specific sensor system designs are discussed - each of which demonstrates a different optical modulation format. The birefringent temperature transducer illustrates direct digital signal modulation. The temperature/pressure dependent semiconductor filter illustrates high-pass optical wavelength signal encoding, while the coupled polarized-mode transducer shows how a solid-state sensor can produce narrow-bandpass optical-wavelength signal encoding. Finally, the luminescent temperature sensor illustrates a manner in which a solid-state sensor can be constructed to produce pulse-width modulation of an optical signal. The potential for fiber-optics sensors adds one more facet to the growing fiber optics market.