Abstract:
Polarization maintaining optical fibers and methods for making the same are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a polarization maintaining optical fiber includes a cladding portion and a core portion disposed in the cladding portion. The core portion includes a first core region having a first coefficient of thermal expansion CTE1 and a second core region having a second coefficient of thermal expansion CTE2. The first coefficient of thermal expansion CTE1 is not equal to the second coefficient of thermal expansion CTE2. At least one of the first core region and the second core region is non-circular symmetric with respect to a centerline of the polarization maintaining optical fiber.
Abstract:
According to some embodiments a fiber sensor comprises: —an optical fiber configured for operation at a wavelength from about 300 nm to about 2000 nm, and further defined by a transmission end, another end, a fiber outer diameter and a fiber length, the fiber comprising: (a) a hybrid core comprising a single mode core portion and a multi-mode core portion; and (b) a cladding surrounding the hybrid core.
Abstract:
A fiber sensor includes an optical fiber configured for operation at a wavelength from about 800 nm to about 1600 nm. The optical fiber includes a cladding that is defined by a fiber outer diameter and a core that is surrounded by the cladding. The core of the optical fiber has a Rayleigh scattering coefficient, αs, that is controlled by controlling a concentration of one or more dopants in the core. The Rayleigh scattering coefficient is tuned to be within a predetermined range of an optimum Rayleigh scattering coefficient for a given total length, L, of the optical fiber. The predetermined range is from about 70% of the optimum αs to about 130% of the optimum αs.
Abstract:
A fiber sensor that includes: an optical fiber configured for one of single or few mode operation at a wavelength from about 300 nm to about 2000 nm, and further defined by a transmission end, a scattering end, a fiber outer diameter and a fiber length from about 10 m to about 100 km. The fiber includes: a plurality of cores having equivalent core diameters and compositions; and a cladding defined by the fiber outer diameter and surrounding the cores. The fiber is tapered at the transmission end to define a tapered portion characterized by a tapered fiber out diameter and tapered core diameters smaller than the respective fiber outer diameter and core diameters. Further, the transmission end of the fiber exhibits a total backscattered signal that emanates from the cores after light from a single source has been injected into the cores at the transmission end of the fiber.