Dual Fabry-Perot interferometers gas pressure sensor in a parallel configuration based on a hollow core Bragg fiber and the harmonic Vernier effect

Abstract

An ultra-high sensitivity parallel-connected Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) pressure sensor is proposed and demonstrated based on hollow core Bragg fiber (HCBF) and harmonic Vernier effect. The HCBF functions as a micro Fabry-Perot cavity and possesses low transmission loss. One FPI acts as the sensing unit while the other FPI is used as the reference unit to generate the Vernier effect. The sensing FPI was prepared by fusion splicing a section of HCBF between a single-mode fiber (SMF) and a hollow silica tube (HST), and the reference FPI was fabricated by sandwiching a piece of HCBF between two SMFs. Two FPIs with very different free spectral ranges (FSRs) in the fringe pattern were connected to the 2 × 2 coupler parallelly, which realizes the harmonic Vernier effect and ensures the stability of the interference fringe. Laboratory results exhibited that the pressure sensitivity can be enhanced to 119.3 nm/MPa within 0-0.5 MPa by the proposed sensor. Moreover, low-temperature crosstalk of 0.074 kPa/° was achieved. Compared with the traditional optical fiber gas pressure sensor, the advanced sensor features high sensitivity, stability, easy fabrication, and fast response, which can be a promising candidate for real-time and high-precision gas pressure monitoring.