Optical Sensors

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Appreciate the physics behind, and key properties of, optical sensors
• Have basic knowledge about components used in sensing systems
• Appreciate various types of optical sensors and their individual properties
• Appreciate methods of characterisation of optical sensors and optical sensor based systems

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Use a variety of information sources (lectures, web, journals) to understand & solve problems (in this case for optical sensors)

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Understand how specific fibre parameters are applicable to optical sensing
• Be able to assess the suitability of different types of optical sensors incl., optical fibre sensors, for particular applications
• Predict the operational properties and understand the limitations of optical fibre sensors based on the knowledge of their design parameters and materials used to form them
• Understand the core concepts of optical sensing applied to a specific field, and understand which parameters should be measured to fully analyse the nature of the object being tested

• Governing standards for sensing systems.
• Optical sensing principles (temperature, strain, stress, pressure, refractive index, etc.).
• Fibre types and materials for optical fibre sensing (silica based, polymer based, etc.).
• Point sensors (Fibre Bragg gratings, long period gratings, and microfibres/nanowires).
• Design, fabrication and characterisation of point sensors.
• Distributed sensors (Brillouin scattering based, Raman scattering based, Rayleigh scattering

based).

• Design, fabrication and characterisation of distributed sensors.
• Fibre gyroscopes.
• Fibre based gas and chemical sensors.
• Optical fibre sensors for extreme and harsh environments (high temperature and strain, shock, high radiation).
• Principles and application of optical fibre sensors in medicine and life sciences. Principles and

application of optical sensors in oil and gas exploration.

• Principles and application of optical sensors in civil engineering, e.g. structural monitoring and

aircraft navigation.

• Emerging markets and economic outlook.

Teaching and learning methods

The course consists of 3 lectures per week plus a bi-weekly workshop/surgery. Electronic lecture notes and self-study packs will be provided for parts of the course.

Learning activities include attending lectures, problems classes, laboratory demonstrations, and exam preparation.

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

An encyclopaedia of laser technology and fibre optics by a Southampton alumnus.

Textbooks

Eric Udd and William B. Spillman Jr. Fiber Optic Sensors. Wiley.

José Miguel López-Higuera. Handbook of Optical Fibre Sensing Technology. Wiley.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External