Abstract

This paper describes a distributed microbending sensor using an external periodic structure (cable) around a fiber to optimize microbending loss sensitivity and other important operating parameters. Construction and measured performance of different designs are given. Other approaches to distributed microbending sensors, such as reduced N.A. fibers¹ or modal filtering, are sensitive to curvature loss and require special fibers. The technique developed here uses existing fibers, is insensitive to curvature loss, and provides excellent performance.

© 1985 Optical Society of America