Abstract
The radial intensity distribution of a transmission from a single-mode
optical fiber is often approximated using Gaussian-shaped spatial field distributions.
While such approximations are useful for some applications, they do not accurately
describe optical transmission intensity off of the axis of propagation. A
recent paper was presented that more accurately describes the intensity distribution,
and this paper presents a simple experimental setup that verifies the model's
accuracy through formal uncertainty quantification procedures. Agreement between
the model and the experiment is established both on and off of the axis of
propagation. These results are then discussed in the context of displacement
sensor designs based on the optical lever architecture. Transmission behavior
off of the axis of propagation controls the sensor performance when large
lateral offsets (25–1500 $\mu$m) exist between transmitting and receiving fibers. The practical
implications of modeling accuracy over this lateral offset region are discussed
as they relate to the development of high-performance, intensity-modulated
optical displacement sensors. Specifically, the sensitivity, linearity, resolution,
and displacement range of a sensor are functions of the relative positioning
of the sensor's transmitting and receiving fibers. It is concluded that the
predictive capability of the model presented in this paper could enable an
improved methodology for high-performance sensor design.
© 2011 IEEE
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