A Multi-Point Switchable and Self-Adaptive Ultrasonic Sensor Using Fiber Bragg Gratings in a Fiber Ring Laser

We propose and demonstrate a multi-point, self-adaptive fiber ultrasonic sensor based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The sensor is constructed from matched FBG pairs (FBGPs) and a tunable optical filter in a fiber ring laser. FBGPs with different Bragg wavelengths are used as both the comb filter to produce potential lasing lines and the ultrasonic sensing elements. The ultrasonic signal is directly detected by monitoring the intensity response at each laser channel to the cold-cavity loss modulation from the spectral shift of matched FBGPs. The laser channel between the FBGPs is actively switched using the tunable optical filter, thereby achieving multi-point and switchable detection yet avoiding mode competition in the lasers. Meanwhile, to achieve self-adaptability, the two FBGs of the FBGP are fixed side by side at the same location of the structure such that both FBGs respond similarly to static strain and temperature variation. The multi-point system is promising for the robustness in the practical applications because it is insensitive to static strain ranging over 1400 με and temperature variation from 20 °C to 50 °C, respectively.