Reflectometric and interferometric fiber optic sensor’s principles and applications

Fiber optic sensors have been widely used and studied in recent times. This paper presents operating principles and applications of fiber optic sensors namely reflectometric and interferometric fiber optic sensors. Majority of optical fiber sensors fall under these two broad categories. Both interferometric and reflectometric fiber optic sensors are becoming popular for their ease of use, flexibility, long distance sensing, and potentially noise free detection. Also, these sensors can easily be used in various applications such as structural health monitoring, perimeter intrusion detection, temperature monitoring, and other numerous applications. This paper broadly classifies fiber optic sensors into two subtypes. The paper further highlights different sensors based on their sensing resolution, range, spatial advantages, and applications.