Nano-Photonics Group



 


Fiber Optics

Projects include investigations of "spectral modal noise" in fiber-coupled echelle spectrometers for astronomy, Monte Carlo simulation of splice loss for avionic fiber-optic networks, and studies of  fiber Bragg grating senor arrays.

Spectral Modal Noise

 

Text Box: A fiber stretcher for eliminating spectral modal noise.

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: Spectra measured with a fiber-coupled spectrometer may have artificial oscillations (spectral modal noise) that mask the spectral features of interest.

 

 

Journal Publication:

“The Origin of Spectral Modal Noise in Fiber-Coupled Spectrographs,” Chia-Hung Chen, Alan R. Kost, and Robert O. Reynolds, to be published in Applied Optics.

Optical Splice Loss in Avionic Networks

 

 

Text Box: A loose-sleeve optical splice is inexpensive and avoids sparks hazards in avionic environments. Core offset, core diameter mismatch, and numerical aperture mismatch contribute to splice loss.

 

 

 

PowerPoint Presentation

Journal Publications:

“Monte Carlo Analysis of Fiber Splice Loss,” Alan R. Kost, Katherine X. Liu, and Charles X. Qian, submitted to Optics Express.

“Analysis of Fiber Splice Loss Associated with Mechanical Tolerance,” Alan R. Kost, Katherine X. Liu, and Charles X. Qian, submitted to Optics Express.

Infrastructure Optics

Text Box: Fiber Bragg gratings can be used as strain sensors to monitor the structural health of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure.  We investigate optical frequency domain reflectometry for interrogating arrays of identical fiber Bragg grating sensors.

 

 

 




Journal Publications:

“Fiber Bragg Grating Array Calibration,” Abdeq M. Abdi, Shigeru Suzuki, Axel Schülzgen, and Alan R. Kost, in Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems, Masayoshi Tomizuka ed., Proc. of SPIE 5765, pp. 552-563 (2005).

“Infrastructure Optics,” Abdeq M. Abdi and Alan Kost, in Smart Structures and Materials 2004: Smart Sensor Technology and Measurement Systems, Eric Udd and Daniele Inaudi, eds., Proceedings of SPIE 5384, pp. 218-228 (2004).