High-Sensitivity Displacement Sensor Using Few-Mode Optical Fibers and the Optical Vernier Effect

Abstract

This paper presents a displacement sensor designed to achieve the Optical Vernier Effect (OVE) through a simple yet robust configuration, enhancing sensitivity and precision in small displacement measurements. The sensor structure comprises a few-mode fiber (FMF) placed between two single-mode fibers (SMF) in an SMF-FMF-SMF (SFS) configuration. A series of distinct configurations of concatenated Mach–Zehnder fiber interferometers (MZFI) were examined, with the lengths of the reference FMF (FMFRef) and sensing FMF (FMFSen) adjusted to track the spectral envelope shifts. The results demonstrate that the direction of the spectral shift is governed by the ratio between the FMFRef and FMFSen lengths. The sensor achieved a sensitivity of up to 39.07 nm/mm and a magnification factor (M factor) of up to 50.09, demonstrating exceptional precision and adaptability across a range of applications. The proposed configuration also enhances the overall sensor performance, highlighting its potential for broader use in fields requiring precise displacement monitoring.

Keywords

• optical vernier effect
• few-mode fiber
• displacement sensor
• optical fiber sensor
• Mach–Zehnder interferometer