Partnering with Fibercore, the fiber optics department at LASER COMPONENTS is able to extend its portfolio with specialty products such as multicore fibers that allow simultaneous transmission of multiple signals with different cores. The standard configuration comprises seven cores in a 125 μm cladding.
High-speed data transmission one advantage of multicore fibers. They can also be used as fiber optic sensors, if their cores are equipped with so-called fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) – reflective gratings that filter specific wavelengths. Changes in the fiber’s form or position result in changes of the filtered wavelength. For 3D shape sensing, several bragged cores are drilled around a central core that serves as a reference channel. Comparing the drilled cores with the reference value, these spun multicore FBG fibers can be used as three-dimensional sensors, even detecting slight rotations to the left or right.
In the biomedical sector, bragged spun multicore FBG fibers are employed for catheters and other tools in minimally invasive procedures, allowing doctors a 3D view of structures inside the patient’s body. But these optical fibers are also used on a much larger scale, as they are incorporated into bridges or dams to monitor their structural health and prevent disasters.
More information is available from LASER COMPONENTS.