One of Fibercore’s specialty products is the so-called multicore fiber: In its standard configuration, seven fiber cores are guided in a 125 µm cladding. The individual fiber cores allow different signals to be transmitted simultaneously.
Such a fiber is required, for example, as a data line in a computer center when high transmission rates are required. Multicore fibers are, therefore, optimized for the light transmission of a 1550 nm wavelength.
Multicore Fibers with Fiber Bragg Gratings
Integrated FBGs turn a fiber into a sensor: Simply put, the fiber Bragg gratings are reflection gratings that filter out a certain wavelength. If the fiber is bent or pulled, the wavelength that is filtered out is shifted in such a way that it allows extremely precise measurements.
However, the FBGs not only respond to the stresses of the fiber but also to temperature fluctuations. To accurately identify bending and stretching, this must be carried out at a constant temperature.
Multicore-Spun Fibers with FBGs
Multicore fibers that not only have an FBG but in which the fibers are additionally drilled go one step further. In versions with five cores, the middle core serves as a reference channel: As a relative reference, the temperature and stress effects on the fiber can be referenced out.
If four cores are used in these fibers, it is possible to distinguish between left and right rotations.
The Fiber Becomes a 3D Sensor
FBG-spun multicore fibers are particularly well suited for 3D sensor applications: They are laid, for example, in bridges to detect movements or to serve as a warning system for earthquakes. However, they are also very popular in medical technology because fibers inserted into the body provide exact feedback on their positioning.
Practicality: Fanouts
The distribution of individual fiber cores is carried out via suitable fanouts. The SMF-28 fiber with an FC/APC connector assembly is used here as a standard. Other configurations are available upon request.
LASER COMPONENTS gained another strong partner in the area of optical fibers with the company Fibercore. Both companies signed a sales agreement for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at the beginning of 2017.
Fibercore was spun off of the University of Southampton in 1982 and is still a renowned manufacturer of fibers for special applications. Its core competencies include optical fibers for optical gyroscopes (FOGs), fiber optical hydrophones, fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, specialty sensors, and medical and telecommunications technology.
This offer ranges from special single-mode/PM/MM fibers to multi-core fibers and fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) that have already been etched into the fibers with UV lasers.
