A compact, portable and low cost generic interrogation strain sensor system using an embedded VCSEL, detector and fibre Bragg grating

Graham C. B. Lee; Bram Van Hoe; Zhijun Yan; Oliver Maskery; Kate Sugden; David Webb; Geert Van Steenberge

doi:10.1117/12.907810

7 February 2012 A compact, portable and low cost generic interrogation strain sensor system using an embedded VCSEL, detector and fibre Bragg grating

Graham C. B. Lee, Bram Van Hoe, Zhijun Yan, Oliver Maskery, Kate Sugden, David Webb, Geert Van Steenberge

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8276, Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers XVI; 82760E (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.907810
Event: SPIE OPTO, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

We present a compact, portable and low cost generic interrogation strain sensor system using a fibre Bragg grating configured in transmission mode with a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) light source and a GaAs photodetector embedded in a polymer skin. The photocurrent value is read and stored by a microcontroller. In addition, the photocurrent data is sent via Bluetooth to a computer or tablet device that can present the live data in a real time graph. With a matched grating and VCSEL, the system is able to automatically scan and lock the VCSEL to the most sensitive edge of the grating. Commercially available VCSEL and photodetector chips are thinned down to 20 μm and integrated in an ultra-thin flexible optical foil using several thin film deposition steps. A dedicated micro mirror plug is fabricated to couple the driving optoelectronics to the fibre sensors. The resulting optoelectronic package can be embedded in a thin, planar sensing sheet and the host material for this sheet is a flexible and stretchable polymer. The result is a fully embedded fibre sensing system - a photonic skin. Further investigations are currently being carried out to determine the stability and robustness of the embedded optoelectronic components.

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Graham C. B. Lee, Bram Van Hoe, Zhijun Yan, Oliver Maskery, Kate Sugden, David Webb, and Geert Van Steenberge "A compact, portable and low cost generic interrogation strain sensor system using an embedded VCSEL, detector and fibre Bragg grating", Proc. SPIE 8276, Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers XVI, 82760E (7 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.907810

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