Abstract

Coherent optical fiber sensors use homodyne or heterodyne interferometric techniques to study and measure phenomena that change the phase, frequency, or polarization of a laser beam that propagates in a single mode fiber. These sensors are the most sensitive optical sensors that can be made as they can realistically approach photon-noise-limited sensitivities, Extrinsic, or hybrid, sensors of this kind use a single-mode fiber to deliver a laser beam to a sensor element or observation region that is usually at the distal end of the fiber.

© 1993 Optical Society of America