Fiber-Optic High-Temperature Sensor Based on Thin-Core Fiber Modal Interferometer

We present a new fiber-optic high-temperature sensor based on a thin-core fiber (TCF) modal interferometer. A thin-core fiber, whose core radius is about half of the radius of a standard single-mode fiber (SMF), is inserted between standard SMFs to form an extremely simple in-fiber modal interferometer. The wavelength of the transmission dip increases linearly with the temperature. Experimental demonstration shows that it can be used to sense temperature up to 850 degrees C with a sensitivity of about 18.3 pm/degrees C.