Aluminosilicate glass waveguide platform for connecting optical fiber sensors embedded in composite materials

Thibault Juwet; Eli Voet; Jeroen Missinne

doi:10.1117/12.3001914

12 March 2024 Aluminosilicate glass waveguide platform for connecting optical fiber sensors embedded in composite materials

Thibault Juwet, Eli Voet, Jeroen Missinne

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12835, Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Diagnostics, Treatment, and Environmental Applications XXIV; 128350B (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3001914
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2024, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

In this paper, the building blocks for a smart glass connector platform are presented. The connector is meant to connect optical fibers, which cannot be connected using conventional connector or splicing technology, e.g. optical sensing fibers embedded in composite structures for structural health monitoring purposes. We are setting up a technology platform using aluminosilicate glass substrates as interposer between 2 optical fibers that need to be connected. Using femtosecond laser technology, this interposer can be equipped with basic building blocks such as low-loss intermediate single mode waveguides, couplers and Bragg grating sensors. To this end, femtosecond laser-written waveguides are inscribed in aluminosilicate glass (Xensation® Cover float glass) and the laser parameters are optimized. Waveguides with estimated propagation losses of 0.65 dB/cm are obtained and are subsequently used to make couplers in glass. These couplers can be tuned in coupling ratio between 87:13 and 15:85 by varying the coupling length from 1 to 4.5 mm at a pitch of 17 μm. In addition, fs-laser written Bragg gratings were manufactured, with the goal to add monitoring capabilities to the interposer. These were realized by modulating the fs-laser pulse train and as such a reflectivity up to 5.9% was achieved in the C-band for 23 mm long Bragg gratings. When properly designed, these can be made compatible with standard read out equipment for fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs).

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Thibault Juwet, Eli Voet, and Jeroen Missinne "Aluminosilicate glass waveguide platform for connecting optical fiber sensors embedded in composite materials", Proc. SPIE 12835, Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Diagnostics, Treatment, and Environmental Applications XXIV, 128350B (12 March 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3001914

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