Demonstration of a high-resolution optical interrogation method for sampled fiber Bragg sensor

Fiber Bragg gratings are high-performance devices contained inside optical fibers for rapid and remote measurement of strain and temperature and, in certain setups, for reagentless and reusable chemical sensing. Existing interrogation methods for these fiber devices, however, require sensitive photonics components such as tunable lasers with moving parts that are not well suited for harsh environments, particularly under the vibration of mobile platforms. Presented here is an experimental proof of concept for a novel fiber grating interrogation method centered around the use of a compact, discretely-tunable, all-solid-state laser and a fiber Bragg superstructure device.