We report on the application of an interferometric system based on the low-coherence interferometry technique to the dimensional characterization of large opaque mechanical parts as well as microdeformations experienced by them. The implemented scheme is capable of simultaneously measuring very small deformations and relatively large dimensions or thicknesses (several centimeters) of the sample. By applying the chirp Fourier transform algorithm, it was possible to measure changes in thickness with an uncertainty of 0.35 μm when a 7-cm-thick sample was measured. The measurement scheme was implemented in optical fiber, which makes it highly adaptable to industrial conditions. It employs a tunable light source and a Sagnac–Michelson configuration of the interferometric system that allows the thickness of the opaque sample and the topography of both faces to be obtained simultaneously. The developed system can be used to perform profilometry of opaque samples and to analyze the dimensional behavior of mechanical pieces in production lines or under mechanical efforts capable of introducing some deformations on them. This feature enables the system to perform quality control in manufacturing processes.
This work presents the use of a recently developed interferometric system based on the swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) technique, which allows the characterization of transparent and semitransparent multilayer systems employing a tunable fiber-optic laser with a coherence length suitable for achieving long-deep range imaging (>10 cm). The inclusion of fiber Bragg gratings in the system allows it to perform a self-calibration in each sweep of the light source. Measurements carried out on cuvettes, ampoules, small bottles, and glass containers used in the pharmaceutical industry are presented. The thicknesses of the walls and the distance between them were determined. Transparent and semitransparent objects of a multilayer type of different thicknesses were also measured. The configuration presented allows extension of the measurement range obtainable with the usual OCT systems, demonstrating the potentiality of the proposed scheme to carry out quality control in industrial applications.
We used an interferometric technique based on typical optical coherence tomography (OCT) schemes for measuring distances of industrial interest. The system employed as a light source a tunable erbium-doped fiber laser of ∼20-pm bandwidth with a tuning range between 1520 and 1570 nm. It has a sufficiently long coherence length to enable long depth range imaging. A set of fiber Bragg gratings was used as a self-calibration method, which has the advantage of being a passive system that requires no additional electronic devices. The proposed configuration and the coherence length of the laser enlarge the range of maximum distances that can be measured with the common OCT configuration, maintaining a good axial resolution. A measuring range slightly >17 cm was determined. The system performance was evaluated by studying the repeatability and axial resolution of the results when the same optical path difference was measured. Additionally, the thickness of a semitransparent medium was also measured.
In this work two fiber optic sensing techniques are used to study the dimensional stability in fresh state of different
cementitious materials. A conventional Portland cement mortar and two commercial grouts were selected. The
measurements were performed by using a Bragg grating embedded in the material and a non-contact Fizeau
interferometer. The first technique was applied in a horizontal sample scheme, and the second one, by using a vertical
configuration. In addition, a mechanical length comparator was used in the first case in order to compare the results. The
evolution with time of the dimensional changes of the samples and the analysis of the observed behavior are included.
In this work we develop a theoretical model to analyze the response of a two coupled-cavities fiber laser. This
setup operates as an additive pulse mode-locking (APM) laser and its design is based on the combined action
of an active cavity and a passive cavity. The first one is generated with an erbium-doped fiber and two fiber
Bragg gratings (FBGs) as reflective components, while the passive cavity is built with a fiber pigtail being the
corresponding mirrors one of the FBGs and the Fresnel reflection at the fiber end. It is proposed a numerical
model that solves the Non-Linear Schr¨odinger Equation (NLSE) by using the Split-Step Method (SSM) together
with the T-Matrix Method (TMM) to calculate the coupling factor on each reflective component. The main
parameters are: the group velocity dispersion (GVD), the self-phase modulation (SPM), the gain and/or loss
factors of the fibers including self-saturation effect and the reflectivity and dispersion characteristics of each
FBG. The dependence of both, temporal and frequency behaviour of the generated emission with the several
involved setup parameters are analyzed. The numerical results produced by applying the theoretical model are
compared with previously obtained experimental results, and a good agreement between them is observed.
We report a high efficiency and high repetition rate acoustic-induced Q-switched Er-doped-fiber laser. Two fiber Bragg gratings were used as cavity mirrors, whilst the active Q-Switching was performed by temporally controlling the Q-cavity factor by coupling light from the core mode to cladding modes using flexural acoustic waves. The acousto-optic attenuator was implemented by applying a RF signal to a piezoelectric disc and using an aluminum horn to focus the acoustic wave in a tapered fiber. The RF signal that drives the piezoelectric disc was amplitude modulated with a rectangular wave of variable frequency and duty cycle. Q-switched laser pulses of ~ 1 W peak power, 0.1 - 2 μs pulse width and continuously variable frequency up to 100 kHz, were obtained. The laser efficiency of energy conversion was as high as 20%.
The performance of a Q-switch fiber laser with two fiber Bragg gratings as cavity mirrors was theoretically analyzed employing a set of rate equations for the ion populations and the photon flux inside the cavity. The model simulates the emission in the 1550 nm spectral region of an erbium-doped fiber laser pumped at 980 nm, where the temporal modulation is performed fixing one of the gratings to a piezoelectric (PZT) element. The temporal evolution of different frequency components is governed by the instantaneous overlap between both gratings. A frequency sweep that is observed in the output contributes to broaden temporally the pulse. Theoretical results are in coincidence with experimental values previously reported.
In this work we analyze the behavior of an erbium-doped fiber laser which, through a simple scheme, allows the generation of Q-switched laser output in the 1550 nm spectral region. Excitation of the active medium is performed in the 980 nm pump band with a cw semiconductor laser source. Two fiber Bragg gratings acting as mirrors of the Fabry-Perot laser cavity were used. One of this grating was mounted over a piezoelectric (PZT) element. By applying voltage pulses to the piezoelectric, the laser cavity was sintonized and Q-switched laser pulses of 55 mW peak powers were obtained. Typical laser emission had temporal widths of 3 microsecond(s) and an optical bandwidth of 0.15 mW peak powers were obtained. Typical laser emission had temporal widths of 3 microsecond(s) and an optical bandwidth of 0.15 nm, when the system operated at approximately 20 kHz repetition rates. Different results were observed depending on the pumping level of the active medium and on the amplitude and frequency of the signal applied on the PZT.
The modal distribution at the output of a multimode optical fiber behaves as a speckle pattern. Further, a speckle pattern carries information on the pupil diameter of the optical system exit aperture. Pupil measurements by speckle size determination may not be an easy task, because of the statistical nature of the speckle phenomena. The measurement of a multimode fiber core is proposed using a speckle autocorrelation algorithm to obtain the minimum speckle diameter present in the pattern generated by the fiber. Both computer simulations and actual pupils are used to test its performance. Core diameter measurements are carried out showing good agreement with the specifications supplied by the fiber manufacturer.
An optical method is proposed for real-time measuring of statistical parameters asso
ciated with diffuser surfaces, such as the rms-roughness value Rq, in the range 1-30 im.
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