The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 01, 1995
Filed:
Oct. 12, 1992
Alan D Kersey, Fairfax Station, VA (US);
Carl A Villarruel, Burke, VA (US);
Abstract
An interferometric fiber optic sensor and method are provided for controlling the optical phase of a fiber interferometer by an optically induced change in the refractive index for one arm of the fiber interferometer and providing a passive all-optical phase shift interrogation in response to this dependency on the optically induced change in the refractive index. The interferometric fiber optic sensor includes a laser source for generating light at a first predetermined wavelength, a fiber interferometer coupled to the laser source and having first and second fiber arms with a predetermined optical path difference between the fiber arms, a predetermined one of the first and second fiber arms being doped with an element for introducing an optically adjustable absorption spectrum, and a pump laser coupled to the predetermined fiber arm for generating light at a second predetermined wavelength so that an effective index for a guided mode in the predetermined fiber arm and a phase delay of the light passing through the fiber interferometer are changed. As a result, the interferometric fiber optic sensor and method allows the phase interrogation of the fiber interferometer by using a passive all-optical approach based on a pump induced refractive index change in the doped fiber arm so that balanced all fiber interferometer elements are used as sensors for eliminating laser induced phase noise.