Polymer fiber bragg grating sensors and their applications

Interest in grating-based sensors fabricated in polymer optical fibers (POFs) stems from the different material properties of polymers compared to silica. Polymer fiber sensors offer increased stress sensitivity and a larger strain range. When used to monitor compliant structures, they perturb the mechanical behavior of the structure less than the much stiffer silica fiber. Some polymers can provide intrinsic sensitivity to water. Being composed of organic materials, there is the possibility of utilizing a wide range of chemical processing techniques to create sensors with a response to specific chemical or biochemical species. Finally, for in vivo medical applications, polymer fibers may be more attractive when considering the consequences of a fiber breakage.