Lithium niobate coated optical fiber apparatus and method

• US 7,324,732 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fanasys LLC
• Original Assignee: Fanasys LLC
• Inventors: Keller, Douglas V., Jamison, Tracer, Flattery, James, Kornreich, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): HAHM, SARAH UH YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/551,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20070237476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 385/12, 385/13, 385123-128
• US Class Current: 385/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/3538 using a particular type of fiber, e.g. fibre with several cores, PANDA fiber, fiber with an elliptic core or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/242 the material being an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/088 of optical fibres; Mechanical features associated with the optical testing of optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03622 having 2 layers only
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0134 in optical waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/035 in an optical waveguide structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/02 fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/20 LiNbO3, LiTaO3

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.

Claims

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.

2. The fiber of claim 1, wherein each of said cladding layer and said central core being made from glass materials having different indices of refraction.

3. The fiber of claim 2, wherein the index of refraction of said core is greater than the index of refraction of said cladding layer.

4. The fiber of claim 3, wherein the index of refraction of said lithium niobate layer changes based on the application of strain thereupon.

5. The fiber of claim 1, wherein said cladding layer includes a flat region.

6. The fiber of claim 5, further comprising electrodes attached to said flat region and adapted to create an electric field across said electrodes and said lithium niobate layer.

7. The fiber of claim 6, wherein said electric field is responsive to radiofrequency energy.

8. The fiber of claim 6, wherein said electric field is responsive to EMF.

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:

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.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of using said optical fiber sensor to detect at least one EMF source based on variations to the electric field and the resulting modulation of light passing through said fiber.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of pinpointing the location of said at least one EMF source by monitoring the degree of modulation of light passing through said fiber.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of using said optical fiber sensor to detect at least one RF source based on variations to the electric field and the resulting modulation of light passing through said fiber.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of pinpointing the location of said at least one RF source using by monitoring the degree of variation of modulation of light passing through said fiber.

14. A system for detecting stress, comprising:

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.

15. The fiber of claim 14, wherein each of said cladding layer and said central core being made from glass materials having different indices of refraction.

16. The fiber of claim 15, wherein the index of refraction of said core is greater than the index of refraction of said cladding layer.

17. The fiber of claim 16, wherein the index of refraction of said lithium niobate layer changes based on the application of strain thereupon.

18. The fiber of claim 17, wherein said detector measures the modulation of light passing through said sensor.

19. The fiber of claim 18, wherein stress is detected based on the modulation of light passing through said sensor.

20. The fiber of claim 19, wherein stress is measured based on the amount of modulation of light passing through said sensor.