CHIRAL FIBER SENSOR APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

A chiral fiber sensor (10) implemented in a chiral fiber (12) is provided th at mimics advantageous optical properties of a cholesteric liquid crystal structure. In a passive sensor embodiment (10), the chiral fiber sensor of t he present invention includes a chiral fiber element (12) configured to shift i ts reflection band in response to a change in a particular external condition (such as temperature, pressure and axial twist). The chiral fiber element (1 2) is subjected to a broadband emission (20) while monitoring its reflection or the transmission spectrum. Changes in the monitored spectrum indicate change s in the particular external condition. In an active sensor embodiment (100), the chiral fiber element (102) is configured as an optically pumped chiral laser (108) having a lasing wavelength that shifts in reponse to a change in a particular external condition (such as temperature, pressure and axial twist ).