THUNDER piezoelectric actuators as a method of stretch-tuning an optical fiber grating

Sidney G. Allison; Robert Lee Fox; Mark E. Froggatt; Brooks A. Childers

doi:10.1117/12.388148

12 June 2000 THUNDER piezoelectric actuators as a method of stretch-tuning an optical fiber grating

Sidney G. Allison, Robert Lee Fox, Mark E. Froggatt, Brooks A. Childers

Proceedings Volume 3991, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.388148
Event: SPIE's 7th Annual International Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 2000, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

A method of stretching optical fiber holds interest for measuring strain in smart structures where the physical displacement may be used to tune optical fiber lasers. A small, lightweight, low power tunable fiber laser is ideal for demodulating strain in optical fiber Bragg gratings attached to smart structures such as the re-usable launch vehicle that is begin developed by NASA. A method is presented for stretching optical fibers using the THUNDER piezoelectric actuators invented at NASA Langley Research Center. THUNDER actuators use a piezoelectric layer bonded to a metal backing to enable the actuators to produce displacements larger than the unbonded piezoelectric material. The shift in reflected optical wavelength resulting from stretching the fiber Bragg grating is presented. Means of adapting THUNDER actuators for stretching optical fibers is discussed, including ferrules, ferrule clamp blocks, and plastic hinges made with stereo lithography.

Citation Download Citation

Sidney G. Allison, Robert Lee Fox, Mark E. Froggatt, and Brooks A. Childers "THUNDER piezoelectric actuators as a method of stretch-tuning an optical fiber grating", Proc. SPIE 3991, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Industrial and Commercial Applications of Smart Structures Technologies, (12 June 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.388148

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available