Detection: Fiber Sensors

The growth in the fiber optic communications and optoelectronics industries has led to the development and commercialization of many types of optical components. Fiber sensor devices and systems are a major user of such technologies. This has resulted in the development of commercial fiber sensors that can compete with conventional sensors. Fiber sensors are capable of measuring a wide variety of stimuli including: mechanical (displacement, velocity, acceleration, strain, pressure); temperature; electromagnetic (electric field, magnetic field, current); radiation (X-ray, nuclear); chemical composition; flow and turbulence in liquids; and biomedical. The main advantages of fiber sensors are that they are low cost, compact and lightweight, robust, passive, immune to electromagnetic interference, and highly sensitive.