Open AccessSensitivity enhancement beyond the wavelength limit in a novel sub-micron displacement sensor
Author(s) -
Curtis L. Baker,
Liang Chen,
Xiaoyi Bao
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.017838
Subject(s) - optics , sensitivity (control systems) , interferometry , displacement (psychology) , signal (programming language) , michelson interferometer , wavelength , phase (matter) , optical path length , phase modulation , materials science , physics , phase noise , computer science , electronic engineering , psychology , quantum mechanics , engineering , psychotherapist , programming language
We propose and demonstrate sub-micron displacement sensing and sensitivity enhancement using a two-frequency interferometer and a Kerr phase-interrogator. Displacement induces phase variation on a sinusoidally modulated optical signal by changing the length of the path that either of the signal's two spectral components propagates through. A Kerr phase-interrogator converts the resulting phase variation into power variation allowing for sub-micron displacement sensing. The sensitivity of this novel displacement sensor is enhanced beyond the wavelength-limited sensitivity of the widely used Michelson interferometric displacement sensor. The proposed approach for sensitivity enhancement creates a whole new class of sensors with ultra-high sensitivity.