Microwave photonic filter-based interrogation system for multiple fiber Bragg grating sensors

Appl Opt. 2017 Nov 10;56(32):9074-9078. doi: 10.1364/AO.56.009074.

Abstract

Fiber optic sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) find potential use in condition monitoring because their spectral properties change according to external environmental and/or physical factors. We propose and demonstrate a technique for interrogating multiple FBG-based sensors based on microwave photonic (MWP) filtering. In particular, we exploit the spectrum-slicing properties of two different FBG Fabry-Perot cavities to implement a double passband MWP filter. Each sensor spectrum results in a unique MWP filter passband. As temperature is applied to a sensor, the corresponding MWP filter passband will shift in frequency; we track such shifts by monitoring the detected power at a fixed radio frequency. We discuss the use of a ratiometric approach for enhancing the sensitivity and the impact of cross-talk from the MWP filter responses in terms of simultaneous multi-sensor operation. Results show that we can monitor local temperatures at two (or multiple) different locations simultaneously and independently using a single measurement system.