US 12,259,263 B2
Optical fiber sensing
Andrei Donko, Highfield Southampton (GB); Ali Masoudi, Highfield Southampton (GB); Martynas Beresna, Highfield Southampton (GB); and Gilberto Brambilla, Highfield Southampton (GB)
Assigned to University of Southampton, Southampton (GB)
Filed by University of Southampton, Highfield Southampton (GB)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/996,373.
Application 16/996,373 is a continuation of application No. PCT/GB2019/050460, filed on Feb. 20, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 1802708 (GB), filed on Feb. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0033430 A1, Feb. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. G02B 6/124 (2006.01); G01D 5/353 (2006.01); G01H 9/00 (2006.01); G02B 6/02 (2006.01); G02B 6/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01D 5/35367 (2013.01) [G01D 5/35325 (2013.01); G01D 5/35329 (2013.01); G01D 5/35361 (2013.01); G01H 9/004 (2013.01); G02B 6/02057 (2013.01); G02B 6/12007 (2013.01); G02B 6/124 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical fiber comprising:
a first end for receiving pulses of radiation coupled into the fiber; and
a core arranged to support propagation of the pulses of radiation along the fiber, wherein the core includes a plurality of reflectors each comprising a single portion of the core having a refractive index which is different than a refractive index of adjacent regions of the core, thereby being arranged to reflect a portion of the pulses of radiation back to the first end of the fiber, and wherein the reflectors are distributed along the length of the core and a separation between any two adjacent reflectors in the core that are arranged to reflect a portion of the pulses of radiation back to the first end of the fiber is at least 1 millimeter so that reflections of a pulse of radiation from adjacent reflectors received at the first end of the fiber are resolvable from each other in the time domain.