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Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends
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Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2024) | Viewed by 11164

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Zhenfeng Gong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Optoelectronic Engineering and Instrumentation Science, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Interests: fiber optic sensors; photoacoustic spectroscopy; acoustic materials
Dr. Xinpu Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Interests: fiber-optic sensors; fiber integrated devices; fiber gratings
Prof. Dr. Yanan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Information Science and Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Interests: optical fiber biochemical sensors; photonic crystal sensors; VOC sensors; point-of-care sensor; intelligent fiber sensor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to their high sensitivity, resistance to electromagnetic interference, corrosion resistance and ease of deployment, optical fiber sensors have been widely applied in many fields, such as civil engineering monitoring, oil and gas pipeline monitoring, power cable monitoring and fire alarms. With the increasing demand for wide dynamic ranges, fast measurement and real-time monitoring, optical fiber sensing technology faces a series of challenges and opportunities. This Special Issue addresses all types of fiber optic sensors and systems, from their fundamental science background to their application. We are inviting the submission of original papers and review papers detailing the latest advances in optical fiber sensing technology, including optic fiber gyro, novel fiber optic sensing mechanisms, fiber optic sensor system technologies, fiber optic sensor applications, etc.

Dr. Zhenfeng Gong
Dr. Xinpu Zhang
Prof. Dr. Yanan Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • novel fiber optic sensors
  • micro/nanostructured fiber optic sensors
  • distributed optical fiber sensors
  • special optical fibers and devices
  • sensing mechanisms
  • fiber optic sensor systems
  • opportunities and challenges for optical fiber sensors
  • future trends of optical fiber sensors
  • applications and industrialization of optical fiber sensors

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 7404 KiB  
Article
An Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer’s (OFDR) Performance Improvement via Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Frequency Filtration for Smart Sensing
by Maxim E. Belokrylov, Dmitry A. Kambur, Yuri A. Konstantinov, D Claude and Fedor L. Barkov
Sensors 2024, 24(4), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/s24041253 - 15 Feb 2024
Viewed by 738
Abstract
We describe a method for reducing the cost of optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) hardware by replacing two reference channels, including an auxiliary interferometer and a gas cell, with a single channel. To extract useful information, digital signal processing methods were used: digital [...] Read more.
We describe a method for reducing the cost of optical frequency domain reflectometer (OFDR) hardware by replacing two reference channels, including an auxiliary interferometer and a gas cell, with a single channel. To extract useful information, digital signal processing methods were used: digital frequency filtering, as well as empirical mode decomposition. It is shown that the presented method helps to avoid the use of an unnecessary analog-to-digital converter and photodetector, while the OFDR trace is restored by the equal frequency resampling (EFR) algorithm without loss of high resolution and with good measurement repeatability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends)
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15 pages, 8260 KiB  
Article
Finding Well-Coupled Optical Fiber Locations for Railway Monitoring Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing
by Felipe Muñoz, Javier Urricelqui, Marcelo A. Soto and Marco Jimenez-Rodriguez
Sensors 2023, 23(14), 6599; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23146599 - 22 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1113
Abstract
Distributed acoustic sensors (DAS) utilize optical fibers to monitor vibrations across thousands of independent locations. However, the measured acoustic waveforms experience significant variations along the sensing fiber. These differences primarily arise from changes in coupling between the fiber and its surrounding medium as [...] Read more.
Distributed acoustic sensors (DAS) utilize optical fibers to monitor vibrations across thousands of independent locations. However, the measured acoustic waveforms experience significant variations along the sensing fiber. These differences primarily arise from changes in coupling between the fiber and its surrounding medium as well as acoustic interferences. Here, a correlation-based method is proposed to automatically find the spatial locations of DAS where temporal waveforms are repeatable. Signal repeatability is directly associated with spatial monitoring locations with both good coupling and low acoustic interference. The DAS interrogator employed is connected to an over 30-year-old optical fiber installed alongside a railway track. Thus, the optical fiber exhibits large coupling changes and different installation types along its path. The results indicate that spatial monitoring locations with good temporal waveform repeatability can be automatically discriminated using the proposed method. The correlation between the temporal waveforms acquired at locations selected by the algorithm proved to be very high considering measurements taken for three days, the first two on consecutive days and the third one a month after the first measurement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends)
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18 pages, 49426 KiB  
Article
Traffic Vibration Signal Analysis of DAS Fiber Optic Cables with Different Coupling Based on an Improved Wavelet Thresholding Method
by Yuhang An, Jihui Ma, Tuanwei Xu, Yunpeng Cai, Huiyong Liu, Yuting Sun and Wenfa Yan
Sensors 2023, 23(12), 5727; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23125727 - 19 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1471
Abstract
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a novel technology that uses fiber optics to sense and monitor vibrations. It has demonstrated immense potential for various applications, including seismology research, traffic vibration detection, structural health inspection, and lifeline engineering. DAS technology transforms long sections of [...] Read more.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a novel technology that uses fiber optics to sense and monitor vibrations. It has demonstrated immense potential for various applications, including seismology research, traffic vibration detection, structural health inspection, and lifeline engineering. DAS technology transforms long sections of fiber optic cables into a high-density array of vibration sensors, providing exceptional spatial and temporal resolution for real-time monitoring of vibrations. Obtaining high-quality vibration data using DAS requires a robust coupling between the fiber optic cable and the ground layer. The study utilized the DAS system to detect vibration signals generated by vehicles operating on the campus road of Beijing Jiaotong University. Three distinct deployment methods were employed: the uncoupled fiber on the road, the underground communication fiber optic cable ducts, and the cement-bonded fixed fiber optic cable on the road shoulder, and compared for their outcomes. Vehicle vibration signals under the three deployment methods were analyzed using an improved wavelet threshold algorithm, which was verified to be effective. The results indicate that for practical applications, the most effective deployment method is the cement-bonded fixed fiber optic cable on the road shoulder, followed by the uncoupled fiber on the road, and the underground communication fiber optic cable ducts are the least effective. This has important implications for the future development of DAS as a tool for various fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends)
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13 pages, 3229 KiB  
Article
Ultra-High-Sensitivity, Miniaturized Fabry-Perot Interferometric Fiber-Optic Microphone for Weak Acoustic Signals Detection
by Guojie Wu, Haie Li, Hongxin Ye, Zhenfeng Gong, Junsheng Ma, Min Guo, Ke Chen, Wei Peng, Qingxu Yu and Liang Mei
Sensors 2022, 22(18), 6948; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22186948 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1655
Abstract
An ultra-high-sensitivity, miniaturized Fabry-Perot interferometric (FPI) fiber-optic microphone (FOM) has been developed, utilizing a silicon cantilever as an acoustic transducer. The volumes of the cavity and the FOM are determined to be 60 microliters and 102 cubic millimeters, respectively. The FOM has acoustic [...] Read more.
An ultra-high-sensitivity, miniaturized Fabry-Perot interferometric (FPI) fiber-optic microphone (FOM) has been developed, utilizing a silicon cantilever as an acoustic transducer. The volumes of the cavity and the FOM are determined to be 60 microliters and 102 cubic millimeters, respectively. The FOM has acoustic pressure sensitivities of 1506 nm/Pa at 2500 Hz and 26,773 nm/Pa at 3233 Hz. The minimum detectable pressure (MDP) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the designed FOM are 0.93 μPa/Hz1/2 and 70.14 dB, respectively, at an acoustic pressure of 0.003 Pa. The designed FOM has the characteristics of ultra-high sensitivity, low MDP, and small size, which makes it suitable for the detection of weak acoustic signals, especially in the field of miniaturized all-optical photoacoustic spectroscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends)
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9 pages, 2734 KiB  
Article
Highly Sensitive Measurement of Oxygen Concentration Based on Reflector-Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy
by Shuhan Yang, Shunda Qiao, Xiaonan Liu and Yufei Ma
Sensors 2022, 22(14), 5087; https://doi.org/10.3390/s22145087 - 06 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1285
Abstract
Oxygen (O2) is a colorless and odorless substance, and is the most important gas in human life and industrial production. In this invited paper, a highly sensitive O2 sensor based on reflector-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is reported for the first [...] Read more.
Oxygen (O2) is a colorless and odorless substance, and is the most important gas in human life and industrial production. In this invited paper, a highly sensitive O2 sensor based on reflector-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is reported for the first time. A diode laser emitting at 760 nm was used as the excitation source. The diode laser beam was reflected by the adopted reflector to pass thorough the photoacoustic cell twice and further increase the optical absorption. With such enhanced absorption strategy, compared with the PAS system without the reflector, the reflector-enhanced O2-PAS sensor system had 1.85 times the signal improvement. The minimum detection limit (MDL) of such a reflector-enhanced O2-PAS sensor was experimentally determined to be 0.54%. The concentration response of this sensor was investigated when O2 with a different concentration was used. The obtained results showed it has an excellent linear concentration response. The system stability was analyzed by using Allan variance, which indicated that the MDL for such a reflector-enhanced O2-PAS sensor could be improved to 318 ppm when the integration time of this sensor system is 1560 s. Finally, the O2 concentration on the outside was continuously monitored for 24 h, indicated that this reflector-enhanced O2-PAS sensor system has an excellent measurement ability for actual applications in environmental monitoring, medical diagnostics, and other fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends)
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Review

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22 pages, 4168 KiB  
Review
Marine Structural Health Monitoring with Optical Fiber Sensors: A Review
by Shimeng Chen, Jiahui Wang, Chao Zhang, Mengqi Li, Na Li, Haojun Wu, Yun Liu, Wei Peng and Yongxin Song
Sensors 2023, 23(4), 1877; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23041877 - 07 Feb 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3642
Abstract
Real-time monitoring of large marine structures’ health, including drilling platforms, submarine pipelines, dams, and ship hulls, is greatly needed. Among the various kinds of monitoring methods, optical fiber sensors (OFS) have gained a lot of concerns and showed several distinct advantages, such as [...] Read more.
Real-time monitoring of large marine structures’ health, including drilling platforms, submarine pipelines, dams, and ship hulls, is greatly needed. Among the various kinds of monitoring methods, optical fiber sensors (OFS) have gained a lot of concerns and showed several distinct advantages, such as small size, high flexibility and durability, anti-electromagnetic interference, and high transmission rate. In this paper, three types of OFS used for marine structural health monitoring (SHM), including point sensing, quasi-distributed sensing, and distributed sensing, are reviewed. Emphases are given to the applicability of each type of the sensors by analyzing the operating principles and characteristics of the OFSs. The merits and demerits of different sensing schemes are discussed, as well as the challenges and future developments in OFSs for the marine SHM field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Fiber Sensors: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends)
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