LITHIUM NIOBATE COATED OPTICAL FIBER APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
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1. An optical fiber sensor, comprising:
- a core;
a cladding layer disposed about said core; and
a thin layer of lithium niobate disposed at the interface between said cladding layer and said core.
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Abstract
An optical fiber sensor having a central core, a cladding layer disposed about the central core, and a thin film of lithium niobate positioned between the core and the cladding layer. Each of the cladding layer and the central core are made from glass materials having different indices of refraction. The refractive index of the lithium niobate film changes when stress is applied to the optical fiber sensor. Accordingly, stress may be detected and measured by detecting and measuring the modulation of light passing through the optical fiber sensor while the stress is occurring.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical fiber sensor, comprising:
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a core;
a cladding layer disposed about said core; and
a thin layer of lithium niobate disposed at the interface between said cladding layer and said core. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of using an optical fiber sensor including a core, a cladding layer surrounding said core, and a thin film of lithium niobate disposed between said cladding layer and said core, said method comprising the steps of:
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attaching electrodes to said cladding layer;
applying an electric field across said electrodes and said lithium niobate layer to cause the index of refraction of said lithium niobate layer to change. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for detecting stress, comprising:
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a block of geofoam;
an optical fiber sensor embedded in said geofoam, wherein said optical fiber sensor comprises a core, a cladding layer disposed about said core, and a thin layer of lithium niobate disposed at the interface between said cladding layer and said core;
a light source connected to one end of said optical fiber sensor; and
a detector connected to another end of said optical fiber sensor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification