Journal of Optoelectronics and Biomedical Materials

Vol. 1, Issue 3, September 2009, p. 303 308

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF FIBER-OPTIC

DISPLACEMENT SENSOR USING MULTIMODE FIBER COUPLER
SAMIAN*, YONO HADI PRAMONOa, ALI YUNUS ROHEDIa,
FEBDIAN RUSYDI, A.H. ZAIDAN
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Airlangga University,
Surabaya 60115, Indonesia.
a
Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences , Sepuluh
Nopember Institute of Technology Surabaya 60115, Indonesia

This paper studies the displacement sensor using multimode fiber coupler based on
intensity modulation. Fiber coupler used is handmade from plastic optical fiber 1 mm
diameter; it has coupling ratio 0.25, excess loss 1.37 dB, and directivity 25 dB. He-Ne
laser (632.8 nm) and OPT 101 (Burr Brown) detector is used to detect the change in
power-output due to object displacement. The correlation function between power-output
and object displacement is analyzed theoretically by Gaussian electromagnetic beam
approximation and characterize the dynamic range sensor 4 mm (with linear region 1 mm)
and sensitivity is 55.4 W/mm. Experiment shows that the sensor is able to detect object
displacement (in front of silvered mirror) accurately in order of 5 m.
(Received August 29, 2009; accepted September 29, 2009)
Keywords: Multimode fiber coupler, Fiber displacement sensor, Gaussian beam

1. Introduction
Fiber optic sensor is commonly used in control and monitoring system for material
deformation, strain, temperature, bridge construction, and other fields. These fields use the work
range of fiber optic displacement sensor. The mechanisms of fiber optic displacement sensor may
be classified into three categories, which are based on wavelength modulation, based on phase
modulation, and based on intensity modulation. The first category generally uses fiber Bragg
greeting and the second one generally uses fiber optic interferometer. Both the first and the second
categories have good accuracy but short dynamic range [1]. The third category has lesser accuracy
but longer dynamical range; moreover it can be made with lower cost and gives measurements that
is easy to interpret [2].
Fiber optic displacement sensor based on intensity modulation can be designed by using
the transmission technique, where the coupling loss of power light is measured at two-movable
ends of the fiber [3], and the reflection technique, where the coupling loss factor of power light is
measured due to the reflection of the moving object [4, 5, 6]. In the reflection technique, the sensor
can take form of a pair multimode bundled fiber [4], singlemode concentric bundled fiber [5], and
multimode fiber coupler. The last study of multimode fiber coupler, which uses coupling ratio 0.5,
has excess loss 24 dB, dynamic range 2 mm, and sensitivity 6.28 W/mm [6]. This paper study
use the same multimode fiber coupler but lower excess loss and directivity for displacement sensor
usage.

2. Theoretical analysis
The basic setup of displacement sensor consists of laser, detector, fiber coupler, and target
mirror with configuration shown in Figure 1. The basic principle to measure the displacement of z
is to compare the power light reflected by mirror which is coupled back to port sensing with

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Samian, Yono Hadi Pramono, Ali Yunus Rohedi, Febdian Rusydi, A.H. Zaidan

respect to the power light received by detector Pd via detection port. The power light received by
detector Pd depends on the distance between sensing port and mirror surface.

Fig. 1. The basic setup for displacement sensor using multimode fiber coupling. The
sensing port is to emitter and also the receiver the light reflected by mirror.

The Gaussian electromagnetic beam is used to analyze the displacement sensor

theoretically. It is assumed that firstly, the cross-section surface of the end of fibers at the sensing
port is plan and parallel to the mirror surface and secondly the outgoing beam from sensing port is
represent by perfectly symmetrical cone with divergence angle as shown in Figure 2. The
parameters a and W(z) in Figure 2 refer to fiber radius and beam radius respectively; the angle
corresponds to the fiber numerical aperture which is stated as NA = sin( ) for air medium.

Fig. 2. Evaluating scheme for power light emitted and received by sensing port with image method.

If mirror is parallel to sensing port cross-section, then the power light, which is coupled
back to the sensing port, can be determined by

2a

Pb = Pt 1 exp 2

W ( z )

(1)

where Pt is the total power light which is not z-dependent [7]. It is straightforward from Figure 2
that

W ( z ) = 2 z tan + a

(2)

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305

Substitute Equation (2) into (1) and give

2
Pb = Pt 1 exp
2

(cz + 1)

(3)

where c = (2 tan (sin-1(NA))/a which makes c is the constant that is determined by the fiber radius
and numerical aperture. Light transmission process from the source with power light Pin arrive in
sensing port (see Figure 1) and give

Pe = (1 cr ) 10 0.1Le 10 0.1D Pin

(4)

where cr, Le, and D are coupling ratio, excess loss, and directivity of the fiber coupler
respectively. If z = 0, then Equation (3) gives Pb = Pe so Pt = 1.15 Pe. Thus, Equation (3) becomes

2
Pb = 1.15(1 cr ) 10 0.1Le 10 0.1D Pin 1 exp
2

(cz + 1)

(5)

The light back-transmission process from the sensing port to detector gives

Pd = cr 10 0.1Le 10 0.1D Pb

(6)

Where Pb is the power light received by detector. Substitute Equation (6) into (5) yield

Pd = Po 1 exp
2
(cz + 1)

(7)

which is restricted by

P0 = 1.15cr (1 cr ) 10 0.1Le 10 0.1D

Pin

(8)

Equation (7) is the correlation function of the displacement sensor with multimode fiber
coupler.

3. Setup experiment
The setup experiment is shown in Figure 3. It consists of He-Ne laser (Klasse DIN 58126,
632.8 nm, Uniphase) with 1 mW power output, multimode fiber coupler, a planar mirror (frontsilvered, 46320, Leybold, a set of displacement equipment with order 5 m (Uniphase), OPT 101
(Burr Brown) detector, and microvoltmeter (Leybold). The multimode fiber coupler used is
structured 2x2 and handmade from multimode plastic optical fiber 1 mm diameter (core diameter
is 960 m and cladding thickness is 20 m) and 50 cm in length. The fabrication is done with
fused method by polishing the fiber. The fiber coupler has coupling ratio 0.25 with tolerance 7%,
excess loss 1.37 dB and directivity 25 dB.

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Samian, Yono Hadi Pramono, Ali Yunus Rohedi, Febdian Rusydi, A.H. Zaidan

Fig. 3. The setup experiment of fiber optic displacement sensor.

Experiment is conducted by measuring the detectors output voltage with microvoltmeter

every 5 m displacement of the mirror away the sensing port. Moving away the mirror can be
done by turning the reducer in displacement equipment. Measuring is stopped if displacement of
the mirror does not change the detectors output voltage significantly. Detectors output voltage
then is conversed to lasers power light. The conversion is done by varying the power light from
laser, which is can e done by putting a pair of polarizer between laser and the detector and
changing its polarization angle. The slope that is given by power light versus detectors output
voltage plot is the conversion factor.

4. Result and discussion

The conversion of detectors output voltage to lasers power light gives a conversion
factor 0.0108 mW/V as shown if Figure 4. The power light, which detected then is plotted with
respect to displacement of the mirror as shown in Figure 5.

Fig. 4. Linear regression of lasers power light with respect to detectors output voltage

Theoretical and experimental study of fiber-optic displacement sensor

307

Fig. 5. Plotting power light received by detector with respect to mirrors displacement.

Plot in Figure 5 shows a very good similarity between the prediction (given by correlation
function in Equation (7)) and experiment. Experimental result for P0 and c florly are 118 W and
1.1 x 10-3/m respectively. Theoretical prediction for P0 (given by Equation (8) and substituting
cr = 0.25, Le = 1.37 dB, D = 25 dB, Pin = 1 mW) is 114 W; and for c (given by 2 tan (sin-1(NA)/a
and substituting a = 480, NA = 0.47) is 2.2 x 10-3/m. The comparison of P0 between experimental
and theoretical prediction is about 1.7 %. As the 7 % tolerance of fibers coupling ratio is
concern, this difference is insignificant. It indicates that the setup experiment is good and the
sensor work properly.
The comparison of c takes 50 % difference. This difference is due to the fiber numerical
aperture that very much depends on angle. Angle theoretically indicates the beam is perfect
cone-shape, the shape that is assumed exists in region away from sensing port. But, in experiment
the outgoing laser beam from sensing port is Gaussian with paraxial-shape beam. This paraxialshape beam is on the top of the theoretical cone-shape beam. Since NA theoretical calculation does
not use paraxial-shape beam, the 50 % difference does make sense. Nevertheless, theoretical
analysis that has been done can simplify the correlation function for the sensor.
Figure 6 shows the linear region of Figure 5 and it has 1 mm in range. The linear region is
the work region of the displacement sensor. This 1 mm-linear region can be considered very wide
as the 5 m-displacement resolution is concern. The slope of the linear region gives the sensitivity
of sensor, that is 55.4 W/mm, which is more sensitive than the previous study done by [6]. The
complete sensors characteristics are given by Table 1.

Fig. 6. The linear region of plotting power light received by detector with respect to
mirrors displacement.

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Samian, Yono Hadi Pramono, Ali Yunus Rohedi, Febdian Rusydi, A.H. Zaidan

Tabel 1. Characteristics of the sensor.

Parameter
Power source (mW)
Displacement resolution (m)
Dynamic range (mm)
Linearity range (mm)
Sensitivity (W/mm)

Value
1
5
4
0 1
55.4

5. Conclusion and outlook

Fiber optic displacement sensor using multimode fiber coupler based on intensity
modulation has been demonstrated. In general, both theoretical and experimental results agree
each other. The difference specifically comes from the numerical aperture fiber which has been
known since theoretical calculation uses different shape beam with the one happens in experiment.
Experiment shows very good sensors sensitivity (55.4 W/mm). As this sensitivity is gotten from
1 mW incoming power light, the sensitivity would go higher if the incoming is bigger. It is
possible to use this setup sensor, with proper incoming power light, to work in nanometer region.

References
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[2] V. Kleiza, J. Verkelis, Nonlinear Analysis : Mod. Cont. 12, 213 (2007).
[3] Svyryd, N.N, Osorno, S., Salazar, M.E.E, Revista Mexicana de Fisica S 52, 61 (2006).
[4] M. Yasin, W. S. Harun, H.A. Abdul Rasyid, Kusminarto, Karyono, A. H. Zaidan, H. Ahmad, J.
Optoelectron. Adv. Mater. 1, 549 (2007).
[5] A. Rostami, M. Noshad, H. Hedayati, A. Ghanbari dan F. Janabi, IJCSNS 7, 311 (2007).
[6] Vijay K. Kulkarni, Anandkumar S. Lalasangi, I.I. Pattanashetti, U.S. Raikar, J. Optoelectron.
Adv. Mater. 8, 1610 (2007).
[7] Saleh, B.H.A., Teich, M.C., Fundamental of Photonics, 2ed, New Jersey, Wiley (2007).

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Corresponding author: [email protected]