Compact Vernier sensor with an all-fiber reflective scheme for simultaneous measurements of temperature and strain.

We propose an all-fiber reflective sensing scheme to simultaneously measure temperature and strain. A length of polarization-maintaining fiber serves as the sensing element, and a piece of hollow-core fiber assists with introducing Vernier effect. Both theoretical deductions and simulative studies have demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed Vernier sensor. Experimental results have shown that the sensor can deliver sensitivities of -88.73 nm/°C and 1.61 nm/με for temperature and strain, respectively. Further, Both theoretical analyses and experimental results have suggested the capability of simultaneous measurement for such a sensor. Significantly, the proposed Vernier sensor not only presents high sensitivities, but also exhibits a simple structure, compact size and light weight, as well as demonstrates ease of fabrication and hence high repeatability, thus holding great promise for widespread applications in daily life and industry world.