An FBG Optical Approach to Thermal Expansion Measurements under Hydrostatic Pressure

We report on an optical technique for measuring thermal expansion and magnetostriction at cryogenic temperatures and under applied hydrostatic pressures of 2.0 GPa. Optical fiber Bragg gratings inside a clamp-type pressure chamber are used to measure the strain in a millimeter-sized sample of CeRhIn₅. We describe the simultaneous measurement of two Bragg gratings in a single optical fiber using an optical sensing instrument capable of resolving changes in length [dL/L = (L- L₀)/L₀] on the order of 10-7. Our results demonstrate the possibility of performing high-resolution thermal expansion measurements under hydrostatic pressure, a capability previously hindered by the small working volumes typical of pressure cells.