Liu, Qiang, Xue, Pingsheng, Wu, Qiang, Zhao, Chenyu, Ng, Wai Pang, Fu, Richard and Binns, Richard (2021) Electrically Sensing Characteristics of the Sagnac Interferometer Embedded With a Liquid Crystal-Infiltrated Photonic Crystal Fiber. IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 70. p. 9511209. ISSN 0018-9456
|
Text
Final version of manuscript.pdf - Accepted Version Download (5MB) | Preview |
Abstract
The electrically sensing characteristics of a liquid-crystal (LC)-infiltrated polarization-maintaining photonic crystal fiber (PCF) have been studied. The small holes on the end face of the fiber collapse and two large holes remain open by controlling discharging-time, -current, and -position of a fiber splicer, then LC is selectively infiltrated into the two large holes, which can not only save LC but also make the welding between the LC-infiltrated polarization-maintaining PCF and single-mode fiber much easier. A new method to weld the two fibers is proposed by filling and volatilizing ethanol to make LC a few millimeters away from the end face which can improve the sensing system stability and prevent the discharge of a fiber splicer from destroying LC molecules. A Sagnac interferometer is set up by embedding the LC-infiltrated polarization-maintaining PCF in a fiber loop and then its electroresponse characteristics are studied. The refractive-index distribution of the LC-infiltrated polarization-maintaining PCF varies with electric voltage due to the variable index of LC, which makes it possible to detect voltage. Three voltage ranges are discussed by the different dips and the sensitivity is improved with voltage increasing. The high sensitivity is up to 3.49 nm/V with the tuning range of 7 nm as voltage changes from 149.67 to 151.61 V. The Sagnac interferometer embedded with an LC-infiltrated polarization-maintaining PCF can be utilized as a voltage sensor, electro-optical modulator, or filter.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Funding information: This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 51907017, in part by the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province under Grant F2020501040, in part by the Key Science and Technology Research Projects of Higher Education Institutions in Hebei Province of China under Grant ZD2019304, in part by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China under Grant N2123012, and in part by the China National Fund for Studying Abroad. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Liquid crystal (LC), modulator, photonic crystal fiber (PCF), Sagnac interferometer, voltage sensor |
| Subjects: | H600 Electronic and Electrical Engineering |
| Department: | Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering |
| Depositing User: | Elena Carlaw |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Aug 2021 08:34 |
| Last Modified: | 05 Aug 2021 08:46 |
| URI: | http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/46852 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
Downloads
Downloads per month over past year
