We have developed optical fibers with a thin approximately 40 to 60 nm thick Lithium Niobate Layer at the glass core and cladding boundary. These Lithium Niobate Cylinder Fibers (LNCF) are now in the process of being commercialized as strain gauges for bridges, tunnels, pipe lines and aircraft components. An application as a sonar sensor is also being investigated. LNCF strain sensors use light amplitude detection rather than phase detection. Amplitude detection is easier to implement and is substantially less costly. LNCF's when used as light amplitude sensing sonar detectors are over 1000 times more sensitive than standard Single Mode Fibers. LNCFs use so called "Non Propagating" light modes rather than the conventional propagating modes.

Date Published: 12 August 2008
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 7099, Photonics North 2008, 709925 (12 August 2008); doi: 10.1117/12.806733

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7099:
Photonics North 2008
Réal Vallée; Michel Piché; Peter Mascher; Pavel Cheben; Daniel Côté; Sophie LaRochelle; Henry P. Schriemer; Jacques Albert; Tsuneyuki Ozaki, Editor(s)