An optical system includes a first optical component including a reflective surface opposing a second optical component; and the second optical component including a non-flat reflective surface opposing the first optical component, wherein a portion of the first optical component allows an optical pulse to pass through the first optical component and reflect off the non-flat reflective surface, an arrangement of the first optical component and the second optical component defines a self-focusing cavity that refocuses the optical pulse and controls divergence of the optical pulse, and at least one of the reflective surface and the non-flat reflective surface is coated with a group delay dispersion (GDD) coating.

An optical fiber with one or more microgratings is disclosed. Methods and apparatus are described for making an optical fiber with one or more microgratings. Methods and apparatus are described for an optical fiber with one or more microgratings. Optical sensing methods and an optical sensing system effectively decouple strain range from the laser tuning range, permit the use of a smaller tuning range without sacrificing strain range, and compensate for ambiguity in phase measurements normally associated with smaller tuning ranges.

A method for forming a pressure sensor is provided wherein an optical fibre is provided, the optical fibre comprising a core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a birefringence structure for inducing birefringence in the core. The birefringence structure comprises first and second holes enclosed within the cladding and extending parallel to the core. A portion of the optical fibre comprising of the core and the birefringence structure is encased within a chamber, wherein the chamber is defined by a housing comprising a pressure transfer element for equalising pressure between the inside and the outside of the housing. An optical sensor is provided along the core of the optical fibre. The cladding is internally etched by flowing an etchant through the first and second holes along a length of the portion of optical fibre which comprises the optical sensor so as to increase the width of the first and second holes. The chamber is filled with a substantially non-compressible fluid. Consequently, the etched cladding is shaped so as to convert an external pressure provided by the non-compressible fluid within the chamber to an anisotropic stress in the optical sensor.

A sensing textile includes at least one assembly of optical fiber filaments, wherein the sensing textile has a main direction and a cross direction, and wherein the at least one assembly of optical fiber filaments is oriented at any angle measured relative to the cross direction.

An optical force sensor along with an optical processing apparatus and method are disclosed. The optical force sensor includes an optical fiber, a core included in the optical fiber, an instrument including the optical fiber, the instrument having a distal region, and a tubular structure encasing an end of the optical fiber and secured to the first conduit at the distal region of the instrument. When an optical interferometric system is coupled to the optical fiber, it processes reflected light from a portion of the core included within the tubular structure that does not include Bragg gratings to produce a measurement of a force present at the distal region of the instrument.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) systems, methods, and structures that advantageously overcome problems encountered when operating DFOS systems over operational telecommunications facilities namely, cross-phase modulation, and uneven amplitude profiles through the use of a novel constant amplitude coded DFOS employing suppressed out-of-band signaling.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) systems, methods, and structures that advantageously overcome problems encountered when operating DFOS systems over operational telecommunications facilities namely, cross-phase modulation, and uneven amplitude profiles through the use of a novel constant amplitude coded DFOS employing out-of-band signaling.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe distributed fiber optic sensing (DFOS) systems, methods, and structures that advantageously overcome problems encountered when operating DFOS systems over operational telecommunications facilities namely, cross-phase modulation, and uneven amplitude profiles through the use of a novel constant amplitude coded DFOS employing out-of-band signaling.

An optical force sensor along with an optical processing apparatus and method are disclosed. The optical force sensor includes an optical fiber, a core included in the optical fiber, an instrument including the optical fiber, the instrument having a distal region, and a tubular structure encasing an end of the optical fiber and secured to the first conduit at the distal region of the instrument. When an optical interferometric system is coupled to the optical fiber, it processes reflected light from a portion of the core included within the tubular structure that does not include Bragg gratings to produce a measurement of a force present at the distal region of the instrument.

An optical waveguide apparatus for guiding optical radiation therein, comprising a spring defining an optical grating structure with a grating period which is mechanically variable to control the Bloch-mode effective refractive index and/or optical path of at least a part of the optical waveguide in respect of a given frequency of guided optical radiation.