In recent times a remarkable breakthrough has occurred in the field of optical frequency measurement and synthesis. For the first time it is now possible to generate arbitrary waveform light pulses, perform accurate optical frequency synthesis and accurately measure the frequency of optical frequency signals. These long dreamed of possibilities have been delivered because of the existence of tw...

We report experimental measurements of the strain and temperature sensitivity of the optical phase in a singlemode polymer optical fibre. These values were obtained by measuring optical path length change using a Mach-Zender interferometer.

The use of an optical-fibre polarimeter as a chemical sensor is demonstrated. The compound to be detected is allowed to adsorb onto a decladded 5 cm length of the fibre. The fibre is polarization maintaining with an elliptical fibre core and a D-shaped geometry. The overall retardation stability of this fibre polarimeter is x0.5 x 2x rad m-’ K-‘. With this sensor adsorption processes of protein...

BACKGROUND We compared the parameters of retinal nerve fibre layer in patients with advanced glaucoma with the use of different OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) devices in relation to analogical measurements performed with GDx VCC (Nerve Fiber Analyzer with Variable Corneal Compensation) scanning laser polarimetry. MATERIAL/METHODS Study subjects had advanced primary open-angle glaucoma, pre...

We study the coupling of spontaneously emitted photons from lasercooled Rb atoms to the guided modes of an optical nanofibre to demonstrate the potential such fibres offer as tools for detecting and manipulating cold atoms, even when the number of atoms is very small. We also demonstrate the integration of an optical nanofibre into an absorption spectroscopy setup, showcasing the ability of the...

Although the optical sensing technology has been available for a number of years the recent rapid adoption is due to a breakthrough in the way that optical fibre sensors are deployed. Optical fibres are now being embedded within a glass fibre/epoxy composite carrier to form a robust component suitable for handling offshore. The carrier provides resistance to damage during deployment and from ex...

The future International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a complex installation that will require permanent monitoring and frequent maintenance operations. The high-gamma dose rates, the high neutron fluence and other radiological hazards call for the use of remotehandled equipment. The management of heavy umbilicals connecting the control systems with the remote tools is therefore...

There has been an immense drive in modern microscopy towards miniaturization and fibre-based technology. This has been necessitated by the need to access hostile or difficult environments in situ and in vivo. Strategies to date have included the use of specialist fibres and miniaturized scanning systems accompanied by ingenious microfabricated lenses. Here we present a novel approach for this f...

A novel sensing technique for the in situ monitoring of the rate of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of metal thin films has been developed. This optical fibre based sensor works on the principle of the evanescent wave penetration of waveguide modes into the uncladded portion of a multimode fibre. The utility of this optical fibre sensor is demonstrated in the case of PLD of silver thin films obta...