Temperature and stress sensing characteristics of symmetrically fused tapered fiber grating

Abstract

The stress-sensitive and temperature-insensitive characteristics of the tapered fiber grating can be used effectively to suppress the cross-sensitive problem of temperature and stress. In this paper, a fiber grating with a symmetric double-cone shape is proposed, which is made by using a fused taper technology. The theoretical model of sensing characteristics is established and analyzed by the transfer matrix method. Firstly, the factors affecting the change of radon coefficient are studied, and the relationship between the radon coefficient and the amount of grate length change is obtained, and then the spectral characteristics of the symmetric fused-tapered fiber grating are analyzed to discuss the origin of dense modulation at the short wavelength of the spectrum. The effects of temperature and stress on the reflection spectrum of symmetrically fused-tapered fiber grating are studied, and the relationship between the corresponding center wavelength and spectral bandwidth is obtained. In order to solve the problem of low stress sensitivity of the fiber grating, a scheme is presented that the radius difference of the optical fiber in the sensing cone region is enhanced by using polymer to coat the tapered area. Finally, a fused taper technology is used to prepare the symmetrically molten fiber grating, and verify the correctness of theoretical simulation in experiment, indicating that its stress sensitivity is 0.11391 nm/N. Firstly, the ripple coefficient of the symmetrically fused-tapered fiber grating is linearly related to the amount of change in the length of the grating. Secondly, because the grating cycle is small at the end of the symmetrically melt-pull-cone fiber-optic grating, and the reflectivity is less than 1, the left-hand transmission light and the right-hand reflected light will produce interference, so the spectral short wavelength will present dense modulation phenomenon. Thirdly, the center wavelength shifts to long wavelength region and the reflection bandwidth is broadened as stress is raised, and the center wavelength and reflection bandwidth are both linearly changed with the applied stress. Finally, the center wavelength shifts to long wavelength region as the temperature rises gradually, and the effect on the spectral bandwidth can be ignored. The stress sensitivity of the fiber grating increases hundreds of times by increasing the difference in fiber optic grating radius in the sensing tapered area, and the stress sensitivity can be further improved by increasing the fused taper variation of the grating. The spectral bandwidth of the symmetrical fused tapered fiber grating is only sensitive to stress but not to temperature. The characteristics can be used to realize the double-parameter measurement of temperature and stress.