Ratiometric pathlength calibration of integrating sphere-based absorption cells.

Chemical sensors based on optical absorption require accurate knowledge of the optical pathlength of the sample cell. Integrating spheres offer increased pathlengths compared to single pass cells combined with tolerance to misalignment, making them attractive for use in challenging environments subject to vibration. However, the equivalent optical pathlength can be degraded by dirt and / or condensation on the inner surface of the sphere. We present a new scheme for in-situ calibration that uses a ratiometric two-beam approach. Results are presented for an integrating sphere used in the measurement of methane by tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS) at 1651nm. Reduced sphere reflectivity was simulated by applying small areas of black tape on the inner surface. At methane concentrations of 1500ppm and 3125 ppm, for areas of contamination up to 2.3% of the sphere wall, the technique reduced the error from over 50% to within ±4%. At a concentration of 6250 ppm and the most severe fouling corresponding to 2.9% wall coverage, the technique reduced the error from 55-65% to within ±11%.

Spectroscopic gas detection using a Bragg grating - stabilized external cavity laser, custom written in planar integrated silica-on-silicon.

We present the development of an external cavity Bragg grating stabilized laser for tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS). Our design uses a planar integrated silica-on-silicon platform incorporating a custom written Bragg grating as the wavelength-selective element of the laser cavity. We have developed a prototype singlemode laser at 1651 nm and performed a detailed characterization of its performance for the purpose of spectroscopic measurement of methane at this wavelength using a 25 cm path-length single-pass cell. Mode hop-free tuning of 0.13 nm has been demonstrated at frequencies of up to 10 kHz. A single-point limit of detection for TDLS of ΔI/I0 = 8.3 × 10-5 AU was achieved, which is consistent with the performance of standard distributed feedback lasers. The new device exhibits a side-mode suppression ratio of -40 dB and a low RIN of <-150 dB/Hz, and thus avoids the high levels of noise or instability normally associated with larger, mechanically driven external cavity lasers. The silica-on-silicon platform has the potential for low-volume manufacturing of special lasers at the custom wavelengths required for gas detection, without the need for investment in foundry solutions.

Transmission line method for the simulation of fiber Bragg gratings.

A new method for the analysis and design of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) based on the theory of transmission lines has been developed and verified both theoretically and experimentally. The method is an extension of the coupled-mode theory and utilizes the equivalent transmission lines in order to simulate any type of grating, with an easy and direct implementation. The method provides the ability to analyze the optical devices without using full wave approaches, while also facilitating the incorporation of core materials with a complex or non-linear refractive index, non-uniform distributions of the grating's refractive index, and tilted and phase-shifted gratings. The approach also allows the design of the grating for a given reflection spectra. Numerical results of the method's application on a randomly varied inscription of the refractive index of a FBG have also been simulated and discussed. Using this method, the characteristics of an erbium-doped (ED)-FBG have been simulated and the predictions verified experimentally.

All-electronic frequency stabilization of a DFB laser diode.

A laser diode's junction voltage is a sensitive measure of its temperature and can be used in a thermal control feedback loop. To compensate for the temperature dependence of the laser's internal resistance, we have measured the dynamic resistance, ∂V/∂I, by modulating the injection current and measuring the demodulated voltage. The junction voltage was thus controlled while operating at fixed DC injection current. Over an external temperature range of 15°C to 35°C, this stabilised the centre frequency (wavelength) of a 1651 nm DFB laser diode with a residual mean frequency shift of 60 MHz (0.5pm), less than the uncertainty on the centre frequency of 80 MHz (0.7 pm). Under the same conditions, conventional thermistor control gave a systematic wavelength shift of -8.4 GHz (-76 pm), and control of the uncompensated forward voltage gave a shift of 9.9 GHz (90 pm).

Integrating cavity based gas cells: a multibeam compensation scheme for pathlength variation.

We present a four beam ratiometric setup for an integrating sphere based gas cell, which can correct for changes in pathlength due to sphere wall contamination. This allows for the gas absorption coefficient to be determined continuously without needing to recalibrate the setup. We demonstrate the technique experimentally, measuring methane gas at 1651nm. For example, contamination covering 1.2% of the sphere wall resulted in an uncompensated error in gas absorption coefficient of ≈41%. With the ratiometric scheme, this error was reduced to ≈2%. Potential limitations of the technique, due to subsequent deviations from mathematical assumptions are discussed, including severe sphere window contamination.

Highly sensitive optical fibre long period grating biosensor anchored with silica core gold shell nanoparticles.

An optical fibre long period grating (LPG), modified with a coating of silica core gold shell (SiO2:Au) nanoparticles (NPs) deposited using the layer-by-layer method, was employed for the development of a biosensor. The SiO2:Au NPs were electrostatically assembled onto the LPG with the aid of a poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) polycation layer. The LPG sensor operates at the phase matching turning point to provide the highest sensitivity. The SiO2:Au NPs were modified with biotin, which was used as a ligand for streptavidin (SV) detection. The sensing mechanism is based on the measurement of the refractive index change induced by the binding of the SV to the biotin. The effect on sensitivity of increasing the surface area by virtue of the SiO2:Au nanoparticles' diameter and film thickness was studied. The lowest measured concentration of SV was 2.5nM, achieved using an LPG modified with a 3 layer (PAH/SiO2:Au) thin film composed of SiO2 NPs of 300nm diameter with a binding constant of k=1.7(pM)(-1), sensitivity of 6.9nm/ng/mm(2) and limit of detection of 19pg/mm(2).

Objective speckle velocimetry for autonomous vehicle odometry.

Speckle velocimetry is investigated as a means of determining odometry data with potential for application on autonomous robotic vehicles. The technique described here relies on the integration of translation measurements made by normalized cross-correlation of speckle patterns to determine the change in position over time. The use of objective (non-imaged) speckle offers a number of advantages over subjective (imaged) speckle, such as a reduction in the number of optical components, reduced modulation of speckles at the edges of the image, and improved light efficiency. The influence of the source/detector configuration on the speckle translation to vehicle translation scaling factor for objective speckle is investigated using a computer model and verified experimentally. Experimental measurements are presented at velocities up to 80 mm s(-1) which show accuracy better than 0.4%.

Fiber-optic liquid-level sensor using a long-period grating.

A liquid-level sensor based on the refractive-index sensitivity of long-period fiber-optic gratings is proposed and demonstrated. The form of the transmission spectrum of the long-period grating is dependent on the fraction of the length of the long-period grating that is surrounded by the liquid. The sensor shows a large linear range, with sensitivity of 4.8% change in transmission per millimeter, for a long-period grating with a length of 40 mm and a periodicity of 400mu;m .

Submicrometer fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer formed by use of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

The fabrication of an optical cavity at the distal end of an optical fiber has been achieved by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition of tricosanoic acid. This technique allows nanometer-scale control over the cavity length to a total thickness of ~0.5 microm . The cavity has been shown to act interferometrically and, thus, has potential sensing applications.

Simultaneous temperature and bend sensing with long-period fiber gratings.

Long-period gratings (LPG's) written in commercially available boron-codoped fibers operating at wavelengths of <1.1mum are shown to exhibit high temperature and bending sensitivities. Each resonant attenuation band of such LPG's was observed to split in two when the LPG's were bent. The split attenuation bands' separation increased significantly with increasing bend curvature, and the central wavelengths of the split bands provided a measure of temperature. We exploit this effect to allow for simultaneous measurement of temperature and bending in smart-structure applications. The demonstrated novel sensor system is simple and low cost.

Second-harmonic generation in Langmuir Blodgett waveguide overlays on single-mode optical fiber.

Second-harmonic radiation has been obtained from Langmuir-Blodgett films of E-N -octadecyl-4-[2-(4-dibutylaminophenyl)ethenyl]quinolinium octadecylsulfate, deposited as a waveguide overlay upon optical fiber that is single mode at the pump wavelength (lambda=1064 nm) . A quadratic relationship between the pump power and second-harmonic intensity was observed.

Fiber-optic chemical sensing with langmuir-blodgett overlay waveguides.

Fiber-optic chemical sensing has been demonstrated with a side-polished single-mode optical fiber, evanescently coupled to chemically sensitive Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) overlay waveguides. The sensors exhibit a channel-dropping response centered on a wavelength that is dependent on the thickness and the refractive index of the overlay waveguide. It has been shown that pH-sensitive organic dyes proved to be suitable materials for the formation of an overlay waveguide whereas LB deposition provides the required thickness control. A theoretical model of the sensor response, based on the Kramers-Kronig relations and phase matching of the guided modes within the optical fiber and overlay waveguide, shows good agreement with experimental results.

pH sensor using Langmuir-Blodgett overlays on polished optical fibers.

Evanescent coupling between a side-polished single-mode optical fiber and a single-mode, pH-sensitive Langmuir-Blodgett overlay is used to demonstrate an intrinsic fiber-optic pH sensor. The sensor shows a wavelength sensitivity of 18.8 +/- 0.8 nm/pH and a transmission sensitivity of 9.7 +/- 0.8 dB/pH when operating at 750 nm.

Phase-stepped speckle shearing interferometer by source wavelength modulation.

Phase stepping by wavelength modulation of the optical source is demonstrated in a path-length unbalanced shearing interferometer. A magnification difference, which accompanies the path-length imbalance in the interferometer, introduces an unwanted radial shear, which is shown to be compensated by inclusion of a block of high-refractive-index material in the longer interferometer arm. The block also increases the phase shift obtained for a given wavelength change. The phase-stepping technique is demonstrated with a three-step algorithm to measure out-of-plane strain on a f lat metal plate.

In-line fiber-optic components using Langmuir-Blodgett films.

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of omega-tricosenoic acid are deposited onto side-polished optical fibers, resulting in wavelength-selective elements. The wavelength response is shown to be strongly dependent on film thickness, giving a shift in central wavelength with film thickness of Deltalambda(0)/Deltad = 2.4, in agreement with a simple phasematching model. It is demonstrated that an alternative polishing technique, requiring no substrates or epoxy, allows more repeatable LB deposition and produces devices with similar characteristics. This is the only technique that will allow deposition of more complex electro-optic LB film-forming molecules.

Optical frequency shifter technique based on stimulated Brillouin scattering in birefringent optical fiber.

An optical technique for producing a heterodyne carrier frequency suitable for electronic signalprocessing schemes in sensing applications is described. The technique exploits stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) generated in birefringent optical fiber. Systems based on single-fiber and dual-fiber topologies are reported that yield 10.6 ± 8.0- and 665 ± 10.0-MHz carrier frequencies, respectively. Frequency instabilities arose from nonlinear dynamical effects inherent to the SBS process. The implications of the results for future signal-processing and sensing schemes based on SBS are then discussed.