Optical Fibers with High Birefringence

as a Sensor Element

Martin Kyselák, Čestmír Vlček and Jan Maschke Filip Dvořák

Department of Electrical Engineering Department of Radar Technology
Faculty of Military Technology, University of Defense Faculty of Military Technology, University of Defense
Kounicova 65, Brno, Czech Republic Kounicova 65, Brno, Czech Republic
martin.kyselak@unob.cz, cestmir.vlcek@unob.cz filip.dvorak@unob.cz

Abstract—The polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) sensitivity test water temperature, basin bottom distance from the fiber
during excitation of both polarization modes is the principle of and the number of exposed fiber segments.
this sensor function. This excitation is caused by temperature
change and by absorbing of thermal radiation. This mechanism Water basin
is used for detection of temperature field disturbance as an of required
indicator. This article describes experimental tests to determine temperature
PM fibers Panda style responses made by applying of thermal
source with different initial temperature. The aim of this study
was to determine the sensitivity of PMF to radiating heat, to
upgrade the space configuration and time response.

Keywords - Fiber sensor, polarization maintaining, optical

fiber, PMF, birefringence, temperature field disturbance

I. INTRODUCTION
Fiber
Polarization maintaining fibers (PMF) work on the basis of
creating of mechanical strain that causes artificial
birefringence. Typical fibers applications include cases, where Figure 1. The arrangement of fiber sensor model.
state polarization maintenance along the light propagation
through the fiber is required, and where the excitation of one The ideal model of fiber sensor for detection of temperature
polarization axis occurs. One effective way of creating field disturbance caused by various temperature water basin
birefringence is arranging structures with different thermal was set to simulate realistic conditions and also to define
expansion into a fiber cladding. At an excitation of both analysis and subsequent conditions. Thermal exposition was
polarization axes, when the light propagates through the fiber, realized by a water basin of defined temperature and placed at
the phase shift happens between these axes. The phase shift is 6 cm basin bottom distance from the exposed fiber segment.
dependent on temperature and therefore on incident thermal For shorter distances (to 13 cm) the response of PMF has linear
radiation. This phase shift can be evaluated by polarizer. characteristic and for longer distances it has non-linear
Previous experiments [1], [2] showed, that the most suitable characteristic [1], [2]. There were used temperatures -20°C
fiber, from the sensitivity point of view, is PANDA type fiber. and +70 °C. For comparison was made the reference
The achieved results are suggested to apply such sensor in measurement for 25 °C (ambient temperature). Three
cases, where the temperature field is disturbed by human body mechanisms need to be considered for temperature transfer to
proximity, i.e. in the range of specific temperatures. Suitable the fiber: the thermal radiation of the basin, heat transfer, and
application could be, for example, property protection against the absorption of heat by the fiber.
illegal manipulation and therefore some requirements for the
sensor sensitivity, system configuration and time response were sensor
established. The aim of this article is to analyze the influence LD P D
of angle set up of polarization on input and output polarizer.
y y y
And finally to examine this problem in spread range E o
o
s
P
temperature too. 
f

x x x

II. MODEL OF FIBER THERMAL SEGMENT EXPOSITION

Figure 2. The model of sensor arrangement interconnection of optical trace.
Setup of experimental work place is shown in Fig. 1. The LD – Laser Diode, P – Linear In-Line polarizer, D – Photodiode.
thermal source is simulated by a plastic basin with various
water temperatures. This arrangement enables changes in the

978-1-5090-1997-7/16/$31.00 ©2016 IEEE

190
 For maximum response of the sensor element it is , (6)
necessary to excite both polarization axes uniformly. This can
be achieved by circular polarization excitation or by the axes
excitation by linear polarization angle π/4. The advantage of where I is intensity defined by the formula (2.20).
the first solution is, that the polarization axes of the fiber may Stokes parameter values are
have any orientation relative to the rotation, the disadvantage
is the need to include a phase retarder π/4 behind the LD , , . (7)
output with an expected linear polarization character.
Preferably the second solution is the possibility of direct Range intensity values are output values cos =  1. After
introduction of the optical power of the laser diode into the reaching a plateau:
fiber, the disadvantage is the need of the exact orientation of for cos  = + 1 , (8)
the axes of the optical fiber relative to the polarization of the for cos  = -1 , (9)
laser.
Given that the sensor should form a compact unit, it seems The mean value of the intensity of the output will equal
advantageous second variant, where mutual rotation of the
input linear polarization towards the polarization axes can be . (10)
achieved by appropriate orientation of the connector and
optical fiber. Substituting numerical values can be shown that in the
The system we can describe as Jones vectors and matrixes range of reasonable error settings, approximately  5 is the
[4], [5], [6]: deviation of the mean value of approximately 3 %. In terms of
the evaluation phase, it will not be the substantial [4], [5], [6].

III. MECHANISM OF HEAT TRANSFER

, Transferred heat QT from water of temperature Te on a
(1) fiber of temperature T was calculated as follows [3]
where:
 is the angle between input linear polarization and axis x, S
QT  T (Te  T )t  KT (Te  T )t
 is the angle between axis of linear polarizer and axis x, l , (11)
 is the phase shift between polarization axes.
The coherent matrix behind the optical fiber (before the where T is a coefficient of thermal conductivity, l is the
polarizer) is the heat source (basin bottom) distance from the fiber
segment, S is the surface area, ΔTe is temperature difference
. (2) between the source and ambient temperature, ΔT is the
temperature difference between the body and ambient
temperature and t is time.
The value of Stokes parameters are As the phase shift is calculated with respect to the change
of temperature, all the temperatures are relative to the initial
, , . (3) temperature of the fiber, i.e. to the difference between given
When the fiber rotation is exactly set of /4 and the angle and the ambient temperature.
of input intensity  = 0, are Stokes parameters (cos, 0, sin). As the transfer of heat depends on the difference between
Said case responses to the arrangement of optical fiber the temperatures, we substituted the difference of absolute
polarimeter measurement [6]. temperatures T by the difference of temperatures  in °C, in
The resulting intensity of the optical wave output is which the temperature of the applied water was measured and
we obtain formula
. (4) QT  KT (e  )t (12)

Coherent matrix for this case consists of IV. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

In our case we have firstly done the measurement equipment
. (5) as preliminary workplace. We took advantage of the benefits
of our new polarimeter equipment. Now we can comfortably
For the ideal case  = 0 and  = 0 (this time the fiber is rotated observe online the development of SOP changes on outputs
by /4) and the intensity is from light source, linear in-fiber polarizer and PM fiber
sensor. In this phase we dismount the linear polarizer on
output and the photodiode, too. Then it is possible to observe

191
the immediate polarization state on polarimeter. Our measured Exciting two lengths (25 cm per length) of fiber with
values are the demonstration of functionality our temperature distance 6 cm (by heat source - basin of water), temperature at
sensor (Fig. 3a/b). the time of attaching is 25 °C (reference), -16 °C and +70 °C.
Heat source is located at time 2:20 min and removed at 7:50
+ 45° min. Total time is 920 s, ambient room temperature is 25 °C.
sensor Operating current source is 27,16 mA. The distance of heat
L Polarimeter
D source and sensor fiber is 6 cm. Measured by polarimeter
Thorlabs PAX 5710.
y y os y
of
E  P
x x x

a)

Covering boards

PM
LP patchcord
+45°
Polarimeter

Laser
Water basin One exposed
length

b)
Figure 3. a) The model of sensor arrangement interconnection of optical
trace. LD – Laser Diode LPS-PM1550-FC,
b) the workplace top view. Figure 5. Water temperature 25 °C (ambient). The development of the
output Stokes element S3.

V. THE EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE TIME
RESPONSE
The measurement workplace arrangement: Temperature
controller TED200C, power current supply LDC202C -
mounting TCLDM9 – optical source Thorlabs LPS-PM1550-
FC pigtail LD - connector FC/FC (ADAFC3) - fiber sensor =
PM 1550 fiber (length = 2 m, Lightcom / Safibra) - connector
FC/FC (ADAFC3) - PM patch cord (PMJP-FC-FC-1550-900-
5-1) - Polarimeter.
A demonstration of the time response for this set of
components is depicted in Fig. 4, 5, 6 and 7. Firstly in shown
(Fig. 4) the on-line exhibition from the polarimeter. We can
see vividly one part of the ray on the Poincaré sphere
(approximately 10 s). Some difference in the output
polarization is evident from these graph. From the viewpoint
of clearness there are most important figures 5, 6 and 7,
because they show long periods, approximately 15 minutes.

Figure 6. Water temperature -18 °C. The development of the output Stokes
element S3.

The first one represents the reference measurement where

Figure 4. One part of the ray on the Poincaré sphere (approximately 10 s), is used the ambient water basin temperature (25 °C) and it is
Thorlabs PAX 5710. located at 2:20 min. The second is measurement for -16 °C

192
and the third one for +70 °C. Thanks the reference
measurement this can be considered authoritative.
Figure 7. Water temperature +69 °C. The development of the output Stokes
element S3.
The polarization efficiency and important values for its
determination are in Tab. 1.
TABLE I. DATA VALUES FOR MEASUREMENT OF POLARIZATION
EFFICIENCY FOR PMF 2 M OF LENGTH, EXCITED BY LD1550, EXPOSITION
TEMPERATURES 25 °C, -20 °C AND +70 °C.
Optical source LPS-PM1550-FC
Basic Sample Rate
6,67E+01
[SPS]
Signal Averaging 2 University of Defense – Modern electrical elements and
Result Averaging 3 systems.
Sample Time [s] 1,80E-01
Number of 1024
Measurements
Record Rate 5 2009, Vol. 18, No. 4, p. 639-643, ISSN 1210-2512
By comparing results in graphs, the conclusion is different
response of PMF sensor upon mines  and plus  temperature
from ambient temperature. This is caused by different
mechanism of heat transfer. SOP development in polarization
maintaining fiber sensor. Unfortunately on the paper there is
no way to demonstrate the whole process of SOP development
on the Poincaré Sphere (need the video player), but the track
of the light polarization state on the Poincaré sphere is very
similar in each deflection caused by temperature change.
When the heat source is removed, there is evidently observed
the track in reverse direction. The typical progress on regular
circle is unfortunately disturbed by some inaccuracies,
inhomogeneity and reflections especially on the connectors.
The amplitude fluctuation is caused by sampling apparently.
193
There are some others effects: imperfect excite both axes,
low degree of coherence, but also by a noncircular LD beam
profile. From the practical realization point of view it is
necessary to take into considerations the excitation by LD too
with regard to the compatibility of individual sensor
components.
VI. CONCLUSION
Described temperature sensor can be used in many
different ways. The last arrangement, exactly all component as
in-line fiber construction, can be used with advantages in
many industrial sectors. This construction largely eliminates
the sensitivity to other factors, e.g. mechanical vibration,
radiation or pressure changes. For significant exposed length
there is appropriate response. The option of adjusting
sensitivity by changing the exposed length is also
advantageous. A fast sensor response was achieved by
exposition of short segments simultaneously.
Future work will be aimed at the studying other
wavelengths, especially 1310 nm and 635 nm. The trend of
development will be directed to eliminate the connector and
replace them by splicing. Gradual replacement of polarimeter
may allow to use linear in-line fiber polarizer and photodiode.
Then this sensor will be really compact and able to undergo
testing in many environment and conditions. This system will
represent a particular optical receiver with digital signal
convertor.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work has been supported by Projects for the
development of K217 and K207 Departments, Brno
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