Optical fiber based apparatus and sensor with enhanced signal for pressure measurements

• Main Authors: Pangilinan, Gerardo I, Russell, Thomas P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.06.2004

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for government purposes without the payment of any royalties therefor. An apparatus for measuring pressure in a medium comprises a laser for emitting light; a dichroic beam splitter that reflects the light from the laser; a first lens that receives and focuses the light from the beam splitter; a first optical fiber for receiving the light from the first lens; a crystal having fluorescence properties and having a hemispherical shape, the crystal being attached to an end of the first optical fiber; a second lens that receives and focuses fluorescence generated by the crystal and reflected by the dichroic beam splitter; a second optical fiber for receiving the fluorescence from the second lens; a spectrometer that receives the fluorescence from the second optical fiber; a streak camera connected to the spectrometer; a charge-coupled device connected to the spectrometer; and a delay generator connected to the charge-coupled device, the streak camera and the laser.