October 18, 2018
Fiber in Remote Sensing
Optical fibers can be used as sensors to measure strain, temperature and pressure by modifying the fiber counts, in order to modulate the intensity, phase, polarization, wavelength or transit time of light in the fiber.
Fiber can be used in remote sensing, because no electrical power is needed at the remote location. Many sensors can be multiplexed along the length of a fiber by using light wavelength shift for each sensor, or by sensing the time delay as light passes along the fiber through each sensor.
Besides, fiber optic sensors are immune to electromagnetic interference and do not conduct electricity, so they can be used in places where there is high voltage electricity or flammable material.
Generally, polarization maintaining (PM) fiber patch cables are widely used in optical sensor systems.