Handbook of Optical Fibre Sensing Technology

856 Pages·2002·54.16 MB·English

by  José Miguel López-Higuera

HANDBOOK OF OPTICAL
FIBRE SENSING TECHNOLOGY
Edited by
Jose Miguel Lopez-Higuera
Professor of Electronics and Photonics
University of Cantabria
Photonic Engineering Group
Cantabria, SPAIN
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Handbook of optical fibre sensing technology / edited by Jose Miguel Lopez-Higuera.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-471-82053-9 (alk. paper)
1. Optical fiber detectors-Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Lopez-Higuera, Jose Miguel.
TA1815.H36 2001
681'25--dc21
2001026650
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0 47182053 9
Typeset by the author
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire
This book is printed on acid-free paper responsibly manufactured from sustainable forestry,
in which at least two trees are planted for each one used for paper production.
To the consorts, children and parents of the
authors for their understanding of the continuous
absences and sacrifices which they have to bear
and which make it possible for works like this one
to see the light of day'. To Mari Carmen,
Vanessa, Jose Miguel, Maria and Gabriel, the
wife, children and parents of the Editor.
'Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real
thing; a confusion of the real with the
ideal never goes unpunished '
J. Goethe
About the Editor
Jose Miguel Lopez-Higuera was born in February, 1954, in the village of Rama-
les de Ia Victoria, Cantabria (Spain). He obtained his Technical Engineering de-
gree in Telecommunications from the Universidad Laboral de Alcala de Henares
(Madrid) and his Telecommunications Engineering degree in the Universidad
Politecnica de Madrid (UPM). He obtained his PhD in Telecommunications Engi-
neering, with an extraordinary award, in the UPM.
He was an Assistant Professor in the Universidad Laboral de Alcala de Henares
from 1976 and from 1986 in the UPM. In 1991 he became an Associate Professor
and a Full Professor in 2001 both in the University of Cantabria, where he teaches
undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Electronics and Photonics mainly fo-
cused on Optical Communications, Optical Fibre Sensor Technologies and Elec-
tronic and Photonic Components.
He was the Head of the Components and Technology Department, and Director of the Technical School
of Telecommunications Engineers, in the Universidad Laboral de Alcala de Henares (Madrid).
In 1993 he worked in the development of rare earth co-doped optical fibres at BT Laboratories in Ips-
wich, UK. He founded and is the Head of the Photonics Engineering Group of the Electronic Technology
and Automatic Systems Engineering Department in the University of Cantabria. He has worked in Inte-
grated Electronic Technologies and, since 1986, in areas related to Photonics, such as Integrated Optics,
Optical Communications and, more recently, in Fibre Optic Sensors and Smart Structures. He has worked
in more than 30 research and development projects funded by private and state institutions and companies,
both Spanish and International. He fabricated the first lithium niobate integrated optic devices in Spain in
the UPM. Presently, he works in the development of Photonic Instrumentation, Optical Fibre Sensor Sys-
tems for Civil Engineering, Electical Power Generation, Environmental, Industrial and Smart Structure
applications, and in microwave signal generation and control with photonic techniques. He is currently
manager and coordinator of R&D&I projects. One of these projects has been awarded 'The Most Original
R&D Project Salva i Campillo Prize 2001 in the area of Information and Telecommunications Technolo-
gies'. This European award for the 'SISFOCDETIC project, co-funded by the European Union and Span-
ish Government, is being carried out by a consortium integrated by ALCATEL and APIA XXI and the
University of Cantabria and is coordinated and directed by Professor Lopez-Higuera.
He has written or co-written nearly three hundred publications in the form of books, chapters of books,
papers and conferences, both national and international. He has presented several invited papers and has
obtained several patents.
Moreover, he has acted as technical reviewer for several journals and conferences in the field of Photon-
ics (Optoelectronics, Fibre Optic Devices and Systems and Optical Sensors). He has also acted as technical
referee for research proposals in the Spanish Evaluation Agency and in the Spanish Commission of Science
and Technology in its ad-hoc Committees.
He has been member of Technical Program Committees of Scientific international meetings like Euro-
pean Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors (EWOFS'98), the Optoelectronics Distance Measurements and
Applications (ODIMAP II and III), International Optical Fibre Sensors Conference OFS'15 and Spanish
conferences such as URSY and OPTOEL.
Professor Jose Miguel Lopez-Higuera is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE), associate Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and Member of
the Optical Society of America (OSA) and of The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE).
Contributors
J.M. Lopez-Higuera J. Arias Sabina Merlo
University ofCantabria, UC, University of Miguel Hernandez, University ofPavia,
Santander, Spain Elche, Spain Pavia, Italy
Samuel D. Crossley Fco. J. Madruga Michele Norgia
AOS Technology Ltd. University ofCantabria, UC, University of Pavia,
Melton Mowbray, UK Santander, Spain Pavia, Italy
M.A. Rebolledo Silvano Donati
J.L. Arce
University ofZaragoza, University of Pavia,
University ofCantabria, UC,
Santander, Spain Zaragoza, Spain Pavia, Italy
Manuel Lopez-Amo Raman Kashyap
J. Zubia
University Publica ofNavarra, Corvis Canada,
University of the Pais Vasco,
Pamplona, Spain Vile St Laurent, Canada
Bilbao, Spain
M. Lomer A. Cobo Jose Luis Santos
University ofCantabria, UC,
University ofCantabria, UC, INESC-Porto,
Santander, Spain
Santander, Spain
Porto, Portugal
J. Echevarria Cuenca
C. Gomez-Reino Luis Alberto Ferreira
University ofCantabria, UC,
University of Santiago de Compostela, INESC-Porto,
Santander, Spain
Santiago de Compostela, Spain Porto, Portugal
Julian D.C. Jones
M. Victoria Perez WilliamN. MacPherson
Heriot- Watt University,
University of Santiago de Compostela, Heriot-Watt University,
Edinburgh, UK
Santiago de Compostela, Spain Edinburgh, UK
C. Bao Brian Culshaw Sriraman Kannan
University of Santiago de Compostela, University ofStrathclyde, Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs
Santiago de Compostela, Spain Glasgow, UK Innovations, Somerset, NJ, USA
Reinhardt Willsch Alan J. Rogers Paul Lemaire
Institute for Physical High Technology, King's College of London, Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs
JPHT, Jena, Germany London, UK Innovations, Somerset, NJ, USA
Wolfgang Ecke David A. Jackson
Anthony Dandridge
Institute for Physical High Technology, University of Kent at Canterbury, Naval Research Laboratory,
JPHT, Jena, Germany Canterbury, Kent, UK Washington DC, USA
Ignacio Esquivias Christopher N. Pannell Clay Kirkendall
University Politecnica of Madrid, University of Kent at Canterbury, Naval Research Laboratory,
UPM, Madrid, Spain Canterbury, Kent, UK Washington DC, USA
Silvia Abad Morio Kobayashi Francesco Baldini
University Publica ofNavarra, TeijinSeikiCo.Ltd, Istituto di Ricerca sulle Onde
Pamplona, Spain Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan Elettromagnetiche - CNR
IROE, Italy
Ignacio Matias Kiyoshi Toyama
Anna Grazia Mignani
University Publica of Navarra, Teijin Seiki Co. Ltd,
Pamplona, Spain Istituto di Ricerca sulle Onde
Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan
Elettromagnetiche - CNR
IROE, Italy
Sandeep. T. Vohra Gerry Woolsey
NRL, now at Optinel Systems Inc., University of New England,
Gerhard Hoist
Columbia, Maryland, USA
Armidale, Australia
Max Planck Institute for
Marine Microbiology, Bremen,
Daniele Inaudi
Eric Udd
Germany
SMARTEC, Blue Road Research,
Grancia, Switzerland
Oregon, USA
Boris Mizaikoff
Pierre Ferdinand Robert T. Schroeder Georgia Institute of
Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
CEA-LETI, Technologies Avancees,
Schlumberger-Doll Research
Saclay, France Connecticut, USA
David Walt
Sylvain Magne Tufts University,
Rogerio T. Ramos
CEA-LETI, Technologies Acancees, Medford, MA, USA
Schlumberger-Doll Research
Saclay,, France
Connecticut, USA
Shannon Stitzel
Gordon W. Day
Tsutomu Yamate Tufts University,
National Institute of Standards and Medford, MA, USA
Schlumberger-Doll Research
Technology, NIST, Boulder CO USA
Connecticut, USA
Jose A. Martin-Pereda
Allen H. Rose Frances S. Ligler University Politecnica of
N 1ST, Now atNxtPhase Inc., Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Naval Research Laboratory,
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Washington DC, USA
Ana Gonzalez-Marcos
Hiroshi Kajioka University Politecnica of
Chris H. Rowe-Taitt
Santec Corporation, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Japan Naval Research Laboratory,
Washington DC, USA
Tatsuya Kumagai
Hitachi Cable Ltd.,
Ibaraki-Ken, Japan
Preface
In recent times, as a consequence of the availability of lasers, along with the existence of
optical fibres, integrated optic waveguides, optical semiconductor devices, and also a wide set
of new components, the old field of knowledge known as 'Optics' has become inappropriate
to accommodate the continuing appearance of new areas or disciplines, which do not fit con-
veniently into the field of Optics. A new area of scientific and technological interest has been
born. The new area was christened with many names: Quantum Electronics, Electro-optics,
Magneto-optics, and Acousto-optics being commonplace to refer to the light-matter interac-
tion and to refer to the devices based on effects originating from electric, magnetic and acous-
tic fields respectively. The term Opto-electronics was also coined to refer to optical devices
which were fundamentally electrical but worked using either the photon-electron interrelation
in the guiding and/or processing of light or the generation and absorption of photons. Even the
term Optronics was proposed. Concepts like the Optical Processing of light, Optical Computa-
tion and Optical Communication continued to appear. The use of techniques already devel-
oped in Microelectronics supported the implementation of the previously mentioned concepts,
giving rise to technology such as Optics and Integrated Opto-electronics, listed chronologi-
cally in order of appearance. All these techniques and concepts had common points: the radia-
tion of light and the attempt to control the photons making up the radiation. For this reason, it
seemed logical to re-name the field to which they all belong, and hence, the popularisation of
the term Photonics. The new field is defined as the set of techniques and scientific knowledge
which are applied to the generation, propagation, control, amplification, detection, storage
and processing of signals of the optical spectrum, along with their technologies and derived
uses. It can also be deduced that the Photonics field can be divided into several areas and that,
in many cases, Electronics and Photonics overlap. There are cases where electrons control
photons as there are others in which photons control electrons so 'complementary harmony'
can exist between Electronics and Photonics.
Within the Photonics field there is an area in which the above-mentioned complementary
harmony between both fields is very clear and contributes to enhance the behaviour that could
now be achieved together: the Photonic Sensing Technology area, in which Optical Fibre
Sensing Technology is included.
In order to increase the level and quality of people's lives, and to help them in their current
occupations, the measurement, monitoring, and control of magnitudes are obvious require-
ments . To achieve this, it is necessary to develop the capacity to capture, quantify and trans-
late physical and chemical magnitudes to another domain, normally electrical. Sensors, in
general, are the devices developed for carrying out these tasks. Thanks to the spectacular ad-
vance of Photonics, sensing processes are possible using photonic concepts.
The above-mentioned Photonic functions of generation, propagation, control, amplifica-
tion, detection, storage and processing of signals of the optical spectrum, accomplished with
the strictly necessary tasks of amplification, conditioning, processing, etc., of electrical signals
imply that Optical Fibre Sensing Technology is a clear example in which the knowledge and
techniques of both fields might be concurrent and integrate a dynamic and harmonious mar-
riage in which every morning, on waking up, there is a new and exciting challenge.
For more than two decades, the motivation behind Fibre Optics has remained practically
the same: It provides the possibility of sensor technology that is lightweight, small, potentially
multiplexable, immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), without electromagnetic sus-
ceptibility (EMS), and, at the same time, it does not require electrical current at the sensing
point. Potentially, it offers us, spatially distributed or quasi-distributed capacities (which is
probably one of its most remarkable features) and, in a wide range of cases, it is the only pos-
sible technology to be used, even providing a potential low cost per measurement point.
Despite very impressive progress over the last two decades in the area of Photonic Sens-
ing Technology, the number of optical fibre sensor systems that have completed the Re-
search, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) process (and are available in commercial
products) is unfortunately not as high as we would like and the technology is still, in many
cases, in the laboratory prototype or D step.
As in every aspect of life, it is necessary to assess what has happened in recent years in the
optic sensor area, and try to discover why the R&D&I network has not worked as the photon-
ics community might have wanted. It is probably because many researchers, laboratories,
universities, and companies have committed the error of focusing their efforts on the use of
optical sensing technology in applications in which the traditional technologies are clearly
established and which are very competitive both in technical and economic aspects, instead of
looking for 'application niches' in which the behaviour of the optic sensor technology is really
competitive, or technically the best solution, or simply the only feasible solution, and some-
times, even, the best from an economic viewpoint.
This Handbook of Optical Fibre Sensing Technology has been conceived in order to con-
tribute to the advance and better understanding of the field, to promote its use and to provide
the international community with ideas, tools and knowledge of how it can be successfully
developed in a wide range of applications, which will become a reality in the near future. This
handbook will be useful in industry as well as in research and in academic environments.
Taking into account all the aforementioned, the fact that a wide range of topics is of great
interest for both the Fibre Sensing and Optical Communications communities, and with the
aim of offering the reader a unique and self-contained tool, four main objectives have been
established. In order to achieve them, a very careful selection of particular goals for each main
objective was made. As a consequence, the handbook is structured in four main parts or
blocks in order to fulfil the four main aims. To develop each chapter, specialised contributors
were chosen from the world's most well-known Universities, R&D&I Institutions and Com-
panies.
The Handbook of Optical Fibre Sensing Technology was written by 60 Professors and Ex-
perts from 15 Universities, 9 R&D&I Institutions and 10 Companies from Australia, Asia,
America and Europe. The 36 chapters are developed in over 780 pages illustrated with 499
Figures, 31 Tables and 1868 References for further reading are cited throughout the chapters
of the handbook.
Part One has two chapters conceived to provide a preliminary overview of Fibre Optic
Sensing Technology, the kind of applications where it can be used successfully and also, to
offer the reader an overview of what can be found more extensively in the following chapters
and to provide a general background to the subject. In addition a summary of the commercial
fibre optic sensors is presented.
Part Two, entitled Fundamentals of Photonics and Components for Sensing, is developed
in 8 chapters in order to provide the Photonic concepts and components needed in order to
understand, design and manufacture fibre sensor systems.
Part Three: Principles and Techniques for Sensing is designed in 11 chapters to provide
the principles and techniques on which photonic sensing technology is based in order to un-
derstand how sensors work and how they can be made.
Part Four, entitled Applications, is developed in 15 chapters in order to give the reader an
ample overview of the developments which are taking place in laboratory and field trials, as
well as the sensors available in the current market and the future trends in this field.
Although the parts and the chapters follow a logical order (taking into account the subject
matter and educational concerns), every part can be read independently in any order, although
it might be convenient for the reader, above all for readers not familiar with this technology,
to read the first part and overall the first chapter before the others. In order to facilitate the
reading of the book to a wider spectrum of people, and to contribute to the better understand-
ing of the very wide range of photonic contents that will appear throughout the chapters of the
book, Chapter one is devoted to current issues that can help the reader to obtain answers to
questions like: What are optical sensors? How can optical sensors be used advantageously?
Where might optical sensors be used? How can optical sensing be carried out?.
Finally the editor would like to thank the authors for their encouragement and the writing
of their chapters using 'hot material' in many cases. Special thanks are therefore devoted to
Brian, Pierre, Francesco, J. Antonio, Carlos, Manolo and Constantino, for their unconditional
support at the beginning of this project. The members of the Photonics Engineering Group are
thanked for their help in a wide variety of daily tasks that have enabled me to have time to
write these lines. Special mention is devoted to Andres Arribas because of his support in the
'never ending' editing process. Dermot Erskine is thanked for the review of English texts of
some chapters. Finally, the staff of Wiley & Sons involved in the management and printing of
the handbook are thanked. Special recognition is given to Mark Hammond for his invitation to
do this book project and supervise it during the long period up to the end.
Jose Miguel Lopez-Higuera
Editor and Co-author