Month: January 2023

What is a Fiber Bragg Grating Array: Applications and Benefits

Fiber Bragg Gratings arrays are designed for strain and temperature measurement.

Fiber Bragg  Gratings written within optical fibers offer great resolution and robustness, making them perfect for temperature or mechanical strain monitoring applications. Real-time safety and function monitoring is becoming increasingly important in areas ranging from transportation, aviation, and aerospace to civil engineering and oil and gas. This technology can be used to monitor strain in a concrete structure, the movement of an aircraft wing, the detection of pipeline leaks, and so on.

Applications of FBG Array

Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are outstanding sensor elements that can measure temperature, strain, pressure, tilt, displacement, acceleration, load, and the presence of different industrial, biomedical, and chemical compounds in both static and dynamic modes of operation. In addition, the FBG is a superb signal-shaping and filtering element for a wide range of applications. FBG array is used in the following industries:

  • Geotechnical and civil engineering
  • Electricity production, conversion, and storage
  • Transportation for commercial purposes
  • Vessels, vehicles, and equipment with high performance
  • Security and perimeter surveillance
  • Medical and biotechnology
  • Industrial
  • Industrial
  • Research and development

The Advantages of FBG Array

A Bragg grating, as a fiber optic sensor, has all of the benefits typically associated with these devices, such as low loss relative to fiber length, immunity to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, small size and weight, intrinsically safe operation in hazardous material environments, high sensitivity, and long-term reliability. Furthermore, Fiber Bragg grating technology demonstrates an inherent serial multiplexing capability as well as the potential to deliver absolute measurements without the use of referencing.

Operation

The FBG will serve as a wavelength-selective mirror as a resonant structure; it is a narrow-band filter. This means that if light from a broadband source is introduced into the optical fiber, the grating will back-reflect only light with an extremely limited spectral width centered on the Bragg wavelength. The leftover light will travel without interruption via the optical fiber to the next Bragg grating.

Acting as a strain sensor

An FBG has special properties that allow it to function as a sensor. The FBG, for example, will measure strain when the fiber is stretched or compressed. This occurs because optical fiber deformation changes the period of the microstructure and the Bragg wavelength.

Serving as a temperature sensor

A Fibre Bragg grating is also temperature sensitive. The shift in the silica refraction index caused by the thermo-optic effect is the main contributor to the Bragg wavelength change in this scenario. The thermal expansion also affects the period of the microstructure. However, because of silica’s low coefficient of thermal expansion, this effect is minor.

Multiplexing

One of the primary benefits of this technology is its inherent multiplexing capabilities. Hundreds of fiber Bragg gratings can be inscribed on a single optical fiber, which can be as near as a few millimeters apart or as far apart as a few kilometers. Each of these microstructures can be made responsive to parameters other than temperature or strain with suitable packaging.

It is critical to note that all of the sensors can be addressed by a single light source. Furthermore, as long as enough spectral band of the light spectrum is reserved for each sensor, the addition of more and more sensors on the same fiber results in relatively small loss and no crosstalk.

The FBG Array is a collection of Bragg gratings inscribed on a single optical cable. It can handle long-term monitoring as well as multi-point monitoring. It can improve system stability and reliability while also simplifying the system. Contact DK Photonics to personalize the FBG array according to you.

5G and Fiber Optics: The Next Digital Revolution

We all are hearing about the onset of 5G networks. 5G comes with the promise to connect people and things via intelligent networks and apps and transform the way we live and work. All of this is going to generate massive amounts of data and 5G is the solution to achieve the highest possible performance.

However, before 5G becomes possible around the world, we need to build the network infrastructure to accommodate billions of devices and enormous amounts of traffic that will be sent over the network.

In this blog, we will see how 5G spurs the demand for fiber optics even more. What role do passive optical components play in making 5G possible?

How does 5G spur the demand for fiber optics even more?

An increasing number of new applications and users demand high data rates. It increases data traffic at a rate of more than 50 percent per year per head. Besides, the emergence of new technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality (VR) will accelerate the demand for high data rates more than ever. To address this challenge, 5G is being introduced.

5G networks use different optical technologies and concepts, such as a radio-over-fiber (RoF) network, passive optical network (PON), light fidelity (Li-Fi), optical millimeter wavelength bridge, etc. to achieve high data rate and capacity.

A Passive Optical Network (PON) is a fiber optic network to deliver broadband network access to end-customers. It uses ans architecture that implements a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple endpoints by utilizing passive optical splitters – one of the most common passive optical components in the fiber optic communication industry.

Besides, an optical network utilizes a range of optical passive components, including branching components, such as DWDMs, optical isolators, optical circulators, and optical filters.

Since 5G needs Passive Optical Networks to meet a variety of challenges, it is natural for optical passive components to increase in demand.

How do optical networks help 5G implementation?

Optical network technologies are emerging as one of the most promising solutions to address and eliminate different challenges encountered in 5G communication networks. The main challenge of the 5G network is to facilitate access to information when, where, and in what format we need it. Optical and wireless technologies are being used as pillars in 5G implementation.

While optical fiber cannot go everywhere, it provides a huge amount of bandwidth where it can be implemented, which solves the speed and capacity problems in the 5G network. According to experts, the best approach to make 5G possible is to integrate an optical fiber network and a wireless network. This approach is called Radio over Fiber (RoF) network.

Besides, in addition to the millimeter wave band of wavelength 1mm – 10mm, the optical wave band from wavelength 390nm to 750nm is also considered very promising for 5G communication. Flex-grid optical network is also emerging as a promising network technology for 5G communication systems, which uses sliceable bandwidth variable transceivers, bandwidth variable optical cross connectors, optical splitters and combiners, and bandwidth variable wavelength select switches.

If you need optical passive components to implement passive optical networks for 5G, contact DK Photonics now.

What is an optical circulator in fiber optics? What is it used for?

An optical circulator is a passive multi-port optical component characterized by its non-reciprocal property. It works by keeping the reflected light from coming back to the source and allows this light to pass through the subsequent port, where this light is either absorbed or used. This component is designed in such a way that the light entering from any port exits from the next port. For instance, if light enters port 1, it passes through port 2 and the reflected light that tends to come back to port 1 does not come out of port 1, but instead, it exits from port 3.

This configuration, which is a form of passive circuit, allows the light to travel in a single direction around the loop while preventing the light from traveling back in the opposite direction. This means that signals are passed from one port to another while they are still being transmitted.

Why an optical circulator is called a non-reciprocal device?

Optical circulators are non-reciprocal optics, which means that changes in the properties of the light passing through the device are not reversed when the light passes through in the opposite direction.

When an optical signal is polarized by the Faraday effect, the polarization is not reciprocal. When an optical signal is input from any port, it can be output from the next port sequentially with very low loss, and the loss from this port to all other ports is very large; hence, these ports do not communicate with each other.

Since these ports do not communicate with each other, they can be used to create a passive star network.

What is an optical circulator used for? What are its applications?

Fiber optic circulators are primarily used to keep the incoming light from source and reflected that travel in opposite directions in an optical fiber separated. As a result, it can also help achieve bi-directional transmission through a single optical fiber.

Optical circulators are widely used in advanced communication systems and fiber-optic sensor applications because they have high isolation of the input and reflected optical powers and a low insertion loss.

How is an optical circulator formed?

A Faraday rotator is a device used to rotate the direction of linear polarization. A Faraday rotator is attached to two polarizing prisms on both sides.

When polarized light passes through a Faraday rotator, its polarization plane can rotate 45° under the action of an external magnetic field. As long as the optical axes of the two polarizing prisms are set at an appropriate angle to each other, the insertion loss of the optical paths can be very little and the isolation of non-connected path is very high.

An optical circulator can also be formed by utilizing the characteristics of single-mode fiber, which will produce the Faraday rotation effect under the action of an external magnetic field.

At DK Photonics, we offer a wide variety of optical circulators, including low-power and high-power circulators. Whether you are looking for 1064nm high power circulators or simple 980nm optical circulators, contact DK Photonics right away.

What are Fused Fiber Optic Products?

The telecommunication industry has revolutionized. And the only thing that has led to this revolution is fused fiber optic products. They are very different from traditional transmission systems and methods. 

No matter how and where you use the products in the telecommunication industry, they will not degrade and keep functioning for a long period. The products are consistent in performance, ensuring premium data transfer speed. Other than this, the products are easy to use with affordability. 

What are the advantages of fused fiber optic products?

As the products are resistant to electromagnetic interference and have a low rate of bit error, the connection quality is good. Simply defined, Electromagnetic Interference is a disturbance that is caused by electromagnetic radiation from an external source. If there is a disturbance, it will affect the performance. 

As fused fiber optic products are easy to install and use, they are more scalable. You can turn on or off the wavelengths on your requirement, allowing easy provisioning of services and quick scaling for a growing business. 

If you are concerned about your business security, the fused fiber optic products are for you. As they don’t radiate signals, there is no voice issue during transmission. With these products, you can keep all pieces of equipment in location, making regulation and maintenance much simpler. 

Last and not least, fused fiber optic products provide long-term cost-effectiveness. Though the upfront cost of the products is expensive, their capacity for scalability long-term outweighs the initial investment. In other words, you will see a decrease in cost over time. 

What are the disadvantages of fused fiber optic products?

Compared to traditional transmission products, fused fiber optic products are delicate. So, the risk of physical damage is very high. They easily break by accidents during renovations or rewiring. Also, the products are too sensitive to be used in certain conditions. Some products are susceptible to radiation damage or chemical exposure as well. 

Though fused fiber optic products overweigh the initial investment with time, the implementation costs a pretty penny of the organization. Special pieces of equipment and specialized installers with skilled knowledge are required for the implementation of the products. Even for problem diagnosis, you need specialized tools, which are costly too. 

Sometimes, fused fiber optic products are susceptible to the environment where they are installed. They meet with an imperfection, destroying everything in a short amount of time.

Fused fiber optic products are a boon to the telecommunication industry. They make things easy for telecommunication owners. But, the thing is that the advantages and disadvantages of the products should be considered before using them. You should weigh the pros and cons before deciding.