High-sensitivity thermally stable interferometric acoustic sensors and fiber-optic sensor networks for remote sensing applications

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract
Optical sensors and sensor networks have been the key devices in a number of applications, including remote sensing, underwater acoustic communications, oil exploration, surveillance, seismic surveying arrays, military sonar arrays and structural health monitoring for massive aerospace and wind-energy structures. These applications impose critical specifications both at device level and systems level. In the first part of this dissertation, a high-sensitivity, thermally stable, compact interferometric acoustic sensor with a large bandwidth and high dynamic range will be introduced. The device is based on a photonic-crystal fabricated on a compliant single-crystal silicon membrane, which is placed near the metalized end of a single-mode fiber to form a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. We demonstrated high reproducibility in operating wavelength (±1 nm) and fabricated ten FP sensors with measured displacement sensitivities within ±0.3 dB. The response was shown to be polarization independent and thermally stable. We showed that ±65 °C change in temperature can be tolerated before the FP resonance shifts by only 1 nm. An experimental sensor was shown to measure acoustic pressures down to a record low of 5.6 µPa/√Hz with a flat-band response greater than 8 kHz and a sensitivity extending down to at least 100 Hz. The dynamic range in pressure was greater than 100 dB. An electromechanical model of the device is presented as a tool for designing and optimizing this micro-physical structure. This analytical model enabled the analysis of the coupled design parameters on the device's sensitivity and noise. Results are shown to be in very good agreement with the experimentally measured quantities. In the second part of the dissertation, the design of a time-division-multiplexed optical sensor network architecture employing multiple low-gain erbium-doped fiber amplifiers will be introduced. Using this architecture, an experimental system will be demonstrated with ten acoustic sensors multiplexed and interrogated with a single laser source at a single wavelength. The signal-to-noise-ratio for each sensor response was measured to be within ±0.95 dB of the nominal value. System performance in terms of cross-talk and polarization dependence will also be discussed. Finally, a model identifying the noise contributions in this complex system will be introduced, which predicts that up to 350 sensors can be multiplexed with this new multiplexing architecture.

Description

Type of resource text
Form electronic; electronic resource; remote
Extent 1 online resource.
Publication date 2012
Issuance monographic
Language English

Creators/Contributors

Associated with Akkaya, Onur Can
Associated with Stanford University, Department of Electrical Engineering
Primary advisor Digonnet, Michel J. F
Primary advisor Solgaard, Olav
Thesis advisor Digonnet, Michel J. F
Thesis advisor Solgaard, Olav
Thesis advisor Kino, Gordon S
Advisor Kino, Gordon S

Subjects

Genre Theses

Bibliographic information

Statement of responsibility Onur Can Akkaya.
Note Submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering.
Thesis Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2012.
Location electronic resource

Access conditions

Copyright
© 2012 by Onur Can Akkaya
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).

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