Highly Sensitive Torsion Sensor Based on Side-Hole-Fiber Sagnac Interferometer

A highly sensitive torsion sensor based on side-hole fiber (SHF) Sagnac interferometer is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper. The theoretical analyses on sensing performances of the proposed interferometric sensor are in good accordance with their experimental measurement counterparts. Due to photo-elastic effect, the birefringence of SHF in the loop would vary with the torsional rate, giving rise to linear wavelength shift and sinusoidal power variation responses to torsion applied on the SHF. Based on the wavelength and intensity interrogations of transmission dips, the torsional sensitivities reach up to about 2.2 nm/(rad/m) and ±10 dB/(rad/m), respectively. Opposite wavelength shift responses for clockwise and counterclockwise torsion states equip the proposed sensor with good twisting direction distinguishability. Besides, the experimental results indicate that our proposed sensor has a low axial strain cross sensitivity of 4.3 pm/με. The side-hole-fiber-based interferometric torsion sensor possesses such desirable merits as high sensitivity, low axial strain cross sensitivity, good torsional direction distinguishability, and good mechanical robustness, ensuring its viability for practical use on torsion sensing occasions.