Lateral force sensing system based on different photonic crystal fibres

The results obtained show that PCFs of low birefringence (Low-Bi) are more sensitive than those of high birefringence (Hi-Bi), although the former require a greater length to achieve a similar effect due to the birefringence. Compared to conventional, non-PCF Hi-Bi fibres (e.g. Panda and Bow-Tie fibres), PCFs demonstrate a much lower temperature sensitivity, allowing them to be well suited to measuring force, pressure and mass in real time (when the temperature is varying) by using a fibre loop mirror (FLM) configuration. In addition, the results obtained show that the sensitivity of the fusion-spliced fibre pairs is lower than that of a single PCF with low and medium birefringence, but more sensitive than that of a single PCF with high birefringence.