All-fiber quasi-distributed polarimetric temperature sensor

This paper presents an all-fiber design of a quasi-distributed polarimetric temperature sensor array that utilizes commercially available single polarization and high birefringence fibers. The modulation depth of temperature induced loss and the operational temperature range of individual sensors in the network are set by the rotational alignment of fibers before fusion splicing and through fine adjustment of the sensing fiber lengths. A practical sensor network was built with sensors that operated in the temperature range from 0 to 100 C. Individual sensors in the network generated temperature dependent loss that changed proportionally from 0.9 to 1.8 dB. With current standard telecommunication OTDRs, more than 20 prototype sensors could be interrogated.

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.14.010245