K. B. Rochford and A. H. Rose, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, Colo.
Reflective fiber optic intensity sensors often use a coupler to guide part of the reflected light back to a photodetector. We have demonstrated a sensor that requires no coupler, and instead uses the emitting laser diode for photodetection. A laser diode operating at constant current can detect light reflected into the junction region if the terminal voltage is monitored. We used a self-detecting source to sense rotation using a simple magneto-optic transducer and single-fiber sensor system.
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