An intensity-referenced temperature-independent curvature-measurement technique that uses a smart composite that comprises two chirped fiber Bragg gratings is demonstrated. The two gratings are embedded on opposite sides of the composite laminate and act simultaneously as curvature sensors and as wavelength discriminators, enabling a temperature-independent intensity-based scheme to measure radius of curvature. Also, the system's performance is independent of arbitrary power losses that are induced in the lead fibers to the sensing head. It is demonstrated that the measurement range depends on the relative positions of the chirped fiber Bragg gratings and on their spectral bandwidths. By using two chirped fiber Bragg gratings with bandwidths W1=2.8 nm and W2=3.7 nm and with central wavelengths at lambda_01=1560.3 nm and lambda_02=1563.7 nm, we obtained a resolution of 1.6 mm/sqrt Hz for the measurement of the radius of curvature (∼R=350 mm) over the measurement range 190 mm < R < Infinity.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Citation lists with outbound citation links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article level metrics are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

Related Journal Articles

• Long-period fiber gratings with variable coupling for real-time sensing applications (OL)
• Reconstructing arbitrary strain distributions within fiber gratings by time–frequency signal analysis (OL)
• Hybrid surface plasma modes in circular metal-coated tapered fibers (JOSAA)
• Fabrication of long-period fiber gratings by focused irradiation of infrared femtosecond laser pulses (OL)
• Passive Device Based on Plastic Optical Fibers to Determine the Indices of Refraction of Liquids (AO)

Related Conference Papers

• Cladding mode effect in superstructure fiber bragg gratings and its applications in simultaneous strain and temperature measurement
• Optical Microfibers: Fundamentals and Applications
• Long-Period Fiber Grating Inscription by High-Intensity Femtosecond UV Laser Pulses
• Long-Period Fiber Grating Inscription by High-Intensity Femtosecond UV Laser Pulses
• Theory of Adiabatic Optical Fiber and Microfiber Tapers