Open Access
Simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature based on clover microstructured fiber loop mirror
(Elsevier, 2015) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; André, R. M.; Silva, S. F.; Becker, M.; Schuster, K.; Kobelke, J.; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Santos, José Luís; Frazão, Orlando; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
In this work, two all-fiber loop mirrors using a clover microstructured fiber for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain are presented. The sensing heads are formed by a short piece of clover microstructured fiber with 35 mm and 89 mm length respectively. The geometry of the fiber allowed observing different interferences created by the microstructured fiber core section. Different sensitivities to temperature and strain were obtained and, using a matrix method, it is possible to discriminate both physical parameters. Resolutions of ±2ºC and ±11 μ for the first structure and ±2.3ºC and ±18 μ for the second one, for temperature and strain, respectively, were attained.
Open Access
Multiplexing optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers based on air-microcavities
(SPIE, 2019) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Novais, Susana; Bravo Acha, Mikel; Leandro González, Daniel; Silva, Susana; Frazão, Orlando; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
In this work we demonstrate the multiplexing capability of new optical fiber Fabry-Perot interferometers based on airmicrocavities using a commercial FBG interrogator. Three optimized air-microcavity interferometer sensors have been multiplexed in a single network and have been monitored using the commercial FBGs interrogator in combination with FFT calculations. Results show a sensitivity of 2.18 π rad/mε and a crosstalk-free operation.
Open Access
Fiber cavity ring down and gain amplification effect
(Springer Nature, 2016) Silva, Susana; Magalhães, Regina; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Marques, M. B.; Frazão, Orlando; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
The effect of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) placed inside the fiber ring of a cavity ring down (CRD) configuration is studied. The limitations and advantages of this configuration are discussed, and the study of the ring-down time as a function of the current applied and gain to the EDFA is also presented. In this case, the power fluctuations in the output signal are strongly dependent on the cavity ring-down time with the EDFA gain.
Open Access
Measurement of paracetamol concentration using a fiber laser system
(IEEE, 2023) Soares, Liliana; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Novais, Susana; Ferreira, António; Frazão, Orlando; Silva, Susana; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
A linear fiber laser system for measurements of paracetamol concentration is experimentally demonstrated. The cavity is based on a fiber loop mirror and an FBG centered at 1567.8 nm. The sensing head corresponds to a refractometric sensor, whose which principle of operation is based on Fresnel reflection in the fiber tip (FBG side). The system works at detected variations of paracetamol concentrations with a sensitivity of [8.74± 0.34)× 10-5] µW/(g/kg) and a resolution of 2.77 g/kg. The results prove that the fiber laser system could be an asset for processing industries, specifically for non-invasive and real-time measurements of concentration.
Open Access
Erbium-doped fiber ring cavity for the measurement of refractive index variations
(SPIE, 2023) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Soares, Liliana; Novais, Susana; Frazão, Orlando; Silva, Susana; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
In this work, an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity based on a 3dB optical coupler for refractive index measurements is presented and experimentally verified. This interrogation system, based on a 1 x 2 optical coupler, uses one of these output ports to increase the reflected optical power by means of a fiber Bragg Grating (FBG), used as a reflector. Moreover, the other output port is used as a refractive index sensing head. A spectral analysis of this interrogator system as well as a fiber cavity ring refractive index sensor characterization are carried out. Finally, an experimental comparison of the refractive index sensor range when the 3dB coupler is replace by a 1x3 one is also presented.
Open Access
Ring cavity erbium-doped fiber for refractive index measurements
(MDPI, 2022) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Soares, Liliana; Silva, Susana; Frazão, Orlando; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren
In this study, an interrogation system based on an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity for refractive index measurements is presented and experimentally demonstrated. This cavity ring includes a 1 × 3 coupler wherein one of the fiber output ports is used to increase the optical power of the system by means of an FBG used as a reflector. The other two output ports are used as a refractive index sensing head and reference port, respectively. An experimental demonstration of this proposed sensor system for the measurement of a distinct refractive index is presented.
Open Access
Optimizing graphene oxide saturable absorbers for short pulse generation in fiber lasers: characterization and aging assessment
(SPIE, 2024-06-20) Monteiro, Catarina S.; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Silva, Nuno A.; Silva, Susana; Frazão, Orlando; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
The generation of short pulses in fiber lasers using saturable absorbers made of graphene oxide (GO), focusing on film thickness, was studied and optimized. The saturable absorber comprised a GO thin film deposited onto a single-mode fiber using the spray coating technique. Water-dispersed GO with a concentration of 4 mg/mL, characterized by a high proportion of monolayer flakes, was employed. This thin film was integrated into a cavity ring laser featuring an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), resulting in a fiber laser emitting at a central emission wavelength of approximately 1564 nm and having a total cavity length of approximately 120 m. By controlling intracavity polarization, short-pulsed light was generated through mode-locking, Q switching, or a combination of both regimes. This work presents a comprehensive characterization of the cavity ring laser operating under the mode-locking regime. It encompasses an analysis of the spectral behavior, focusing on the evolution of the Kelly¿s sidebands with increasing pump power, as well as an assessment of its temporal stability. Moreover, the effects of the aging of the saturable absorber material were studied after a time period of 6 months after the fabrication. It was observed that the general characteristics of spectral signal of the laser were maintained, with long-term stability.
Open Access
Short pulse generation in erbium-doped fiber lasers using graphene oxide as a saturable absorber
(Science and Technology Publications, Lda., 2023) Monteiro, Catarina S.; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Silva, Susana; Frazão, Orlando; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
The use of graphene oxide (GO) as a saturable absorber for short pulses generation in an Erbium-doped fiber laser was studied and demonstrated. The saturable absorber consisted of a thin GO film, with a high concentration of monolayer GO flakes, spray-coated on the end face of a ferrule-connected fiber. By including the saturable absorber in the laser cavity and controlling the intra-cavity polarization, the generation of short-pulsed light was achieved under mode-locking and Q-switching operations. Under mode-locking operation, it was observed a pulse train with a fundamental repetition rate of 1.48 MHz, with a working wavelength centered at 1564.4 nm. In the Q-switch operation, a pulse train with a 12.7 kHz repetition rate and a 14.3 µs pulse duration was attained for a 230-mA pump current. Further investigation showed a linear dependence of the repetition rate with the pump power, attaining frequencies between 12.7 and 14.4 kHz.
Open Access
Frequency modulated continuous wave system for optical fiber intensity sensors with optical amplification
(IEEE, 2009) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Frazão, Orlando; Santos, José Luís; Araújo, Francisco Moita; Ferreira, Luis Alberto; Baptista, José Manuel; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
We report on the use of erbium doped fiber (EDF) amplification to enhance a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) technique for referencing optical intensity sensors located between two Bragg grating structures. The experiment combines the concept of FMCW with the spectrally selective mirror properties of Bragg gratings to interrogate with referencing properties intensity based sensors. The interrogation system without amplification yields a sensor resolution of around 0.078 dB. When the EDF amplifier is introduced into the experimental set up, the sensor sensitivity does not change, but the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, resulting into an enhanced resolution of 0.025 dB. We also obtain a remote sensing operation at a location of 50 km, showing the feasibility of this configuration to be used as a remote sensing application.
Open Access
Linear fiber laser configurations for optical concentration sensing in liquid solutions
(MDPI, 2024) Soares, Liliana; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Novais, Susana; Ferreira, António; Silva, Susana; Frazão, Orlando; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
In this study, different configurations based on linear fiber lasers were proposed and experimentally demonstrated to measure the concentration of liquid solutions. Samples of paracetamol liquid solutions with different concentrations, in the range from 52.61 to 201.33 g/kg, were used as a case-study. The optical gain was provided by a commercial bidirectional Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) and the linear cavity was obtained using two commercial Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs). The main difference of each configuration was the coupling ratio of the optical coupler used to extract the system signal. The sensing head corresponded to a Single-Mode Fiber (SMF) tip that worked as an intensity sensor. The results reveal that, despite the optical coupler used (50:50, 60:40, 70:30 or 80:20), all the configurations reached the laser condition, however, the concentration sensing was only possible using a laser drive current near to the threshold value. The configurations using a 70:30 and an 80:20 optical coupler allowed paracetamol concentration measurements with a higher sensitivity of (−3.00 ± 0.24) pW/(g/kg) to be performed. In terms of resolution, the highest value obtained was 1.75 g/kg, when it was extracted at 20% of the output power to the linear cavity fiber laser configuration.