Open Access
High frequency vibration sensor using a fiber laser with a multicore fiber interferometer
(IEEE, 2024) Correa Serrano, Ángel Ignacio; Galarza Galarza, Marko; Dauliat, Romain; Jamier, Raphael; Roy, Philippe; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoa eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritza; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
We present an interferometric vibration sensor that uses three-core fibers. The transducer is constructed by splicing a segment 20 mm long of a multicore optical fiber (MCF) to a single-mode optical fiber (SMF). The end of the MCF segment is cut off and painted using silver metallic paint. The sensor head is operated in reflection mode. The structure is placed on a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plate, which is excited with a wide range of frequency signals. The vibrations induce cyclic bending in the MCF segment, resulting in periodic oscillations of the reflected interference spectrum. This device is demonstrated to be suitable to measure vibrations in a frequency range of the order of 300 kHz detecting deformations as small as 0.40μm .
Open Access
Modulated fiber ring laser and its application in high-sensitivity temperature sensors
(SPIE, 2016) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Tainta Ausejo, Santiago; Erro Betrán, María José; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
This work presents an experimental demonstration of a scheme based on an internally modulated fiber ring laser for high-sensitivity temperature sensing. The attained temperature resolution has been as low as ± 2pm even when a commercial FBG with a sensitivity of 10 pm/°C was used. Thus, a fivefold improvement in the temperature sensor resolution can be achieved when compared to a simple FBG interrogation scheme. In addition to this, the measuring range could be selected only by changing the frequency modulation of the fiber ring laser. This technology also allows to triple the photodiode bandwidth unambiguously when temperature or strain measurements are carried out, which is a remarkable achievement in term of cost reduction.
Open Access
Liquid level sensor based on dynamic Fabry–Perot interferometers in processed capillary fiber
(Springer Nature, 2021) Roldán Varona, Pablo; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Rodríguez Cobo, Luis; Reyes González, Luis; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
In this work, a novel optical fiber sensor capable of measuring both the liquid level and its refractive index is designed, manufactured and demonstrated through simulations and experimentally. For this, a silica capillary hollow-core fiber is used. The fiber, with a sensing length of 1.55 mm, has been processed with a femtosecond laser, so that it incorporates four holes in its structure. In this way, the liquid enters the air core, and it is possible to perform the sensing through the Fabry–Perot cavities that the liquid generates. The detection mode is in reflection. With a resolution of 4 μm (liquid level), it is in the state of the art of this type of sensor. The system is designed so that in the future it will be capable of measuring the level of immiscible liquids, that is, liquids that form stratified layers. It can be useful to determine the presence of impurities in tanks.
Open Access
Hybrid Raman‑erbium random fiber laser with a half open cavity assisted by artificially controlled backscattering fiber refectors
(Springer Nature, 2021) Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Roldán Varona, Pablo; Galarza Galarza, Marko; Sañudo-Lasagabaster Ibáñez, Silvia; Rodríguez Cobo, Luis; López Higuera, José Miguel; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, PJUPNA1928
A hybrid Raman-erbium random fber laser with a half-open cavity assisted by chirped artifcially controlled backscattering fber refectors is presented. A combination of a 2.4 km-long dispersion compensating fber with two highly erbium-doped fber pieces of 5 m length were used as gain media. A single random laser emission line centered at 1553.8 nm with an optical signal to noise ratio of 47 dB were obtained when pumped at 37.5 dBm. A full width at half maximum of 1 nm and a 100% confdence level output power instability as low as 0.08 dB were measured. The utilization of the new laser cavity as a temperature and strain sensor is also experimentally studied.
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
46-km-long Raman amplified hybrid double-bus network with point and distributed Brillouin sensors
(IEEE, 2012) Fernández Vallejo, Montserrat; Olier Aguado, David; Zornoza Indart, Ander; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Díaz Lucas, Silvia; Elosúa Aguado, César; Bariáin Aisa, Cándido; Loayssa Lara, Alayn; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa
We experimentally demonstrate a 46-km hybrid network that combine point and distributed Brillouin sensors. The proposed sensor network multiplexes low-cost intensity point sensors based on fiber-optic tapers, which are able to measure vibrations in the 0.01 to 50 Hz frequency range. The sensor network with a double-bus is a low noise configuration, which offers a higher optical signal to noise ratio and dynamic range than a single-bus. Thus, the number of sensors to be multiplexed could increase or we could reach further distances. The system also deploys remote distributed Raman amplification to extend the sensing range.
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
Diseño y caracterización de reflectores incoherentes de retrodispersión de fibra microperforada para láseres random de fibra óptica
(SEDOPTICA, 2021) Galarza Galarza, Marko; Sañudo-Lasagabaster Ibáñez, Silvia; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Roldán Varona, Pablo; Rodríguez Cobo, Luis; López Higuera, José Miguel; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, PJUPNA 1928
Los láseres random de fibra óptica presentan una serie de características que los hacen idóneos para una gran variedad de aplicaciones industriales. La elevada longitud de fibra necesaria en la cavidad debido a sus bajos índices de dispersión Rayleigh, se reduce utilizando fibras de baja área efectiva (compensadoras de dispersión), o generando artificialmente elementos muy dispersivos. En este trabajo presentamos el diseño de reflectores aleatorios de tan solo varios milímetros, generados mediante microperforación del núcleo con un láser de femtosegundo y su utilización en la cavidad de una estructura láser.
Open Access
Virtual FBGs using saturable absorbers for sensing with fiber lasers
(MDPI, 2018) Rodríguez Cobo, Luis; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; Quintela, M. A.; Ruiz Lombera, Rubén; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; López Higuera, José Miguel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa, Elektronikoaren eta Telekomunikazio Ingeniaritzaren; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica, Electrónica y de Comunicación
The spectral narrowing of Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) introduced by unpumped Er-doped fiber (EDF) was analyzed for fiber lasers (FL). Owing to spatial hole burning (SHB), the spectral response of a virtual FBG can be employed for narrowing the band pass filter employed to determine the lasing wavelength of laser cavities. A common FL was mounted to analyze the spectral stability of the method, and a FL sensor for strain and temperature measurements was experimentally characterized to determine the stability of the narrowing effect achieved by the unpumped EDF, which acts as a virtual FBG. The results exhibited remarkably good narrowing effects of the spectral response of uniform FBGs.
Open Access
Tunable SESAM-based mode-locked soliton fiber laser in linear cavity by axial-strain applied to a FBG
(IEEE, 2017) Aporta, I.; Leandro González, Daniel; Quintela, M. A.; Pérez Herrera, Rosa Ana; López-Amo Sáinz, Manuel; López Higuera, José Miguel; Ingeniaritza Elektrikoa eta Elektronikoa; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Ingeniería Eléctrica y Electrónica
A self-started stable tunable mode-locked (ML) soliton fiber laser in a linear cavity structure composed by commercial passive elements is presented in this paper. It is based on the combination of an Erbium doped fiber (EDF) as the active medium, and a saturated fiber Bragg grating (FBG) as a partial mirror of the cavity. The other side of the cavity consists of a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM) acting also as the mode-locking device. The central wavelength of the FBG is selected by the application of axial strain giving rise to a tunable soliton over 8.6 nm on the C band with a variable spacing of 0.01 nm. The laser delivers 18.9 ps long pulses with a 0.14 nm bandwidth, an 8.2 MHz repetition rate, a pulse energy of 89 pJ and a peak power of 4.71 W.