Feature

Piping light to the heart of machines

In 1854, the celebrated Irish Physicist John Tyndall observed how light could be made to travel in an arcing stream of water. The discovery established the principle of ‘total internal reflection’, that light energy can be ‘piped’ to a destination, through a highly refractive material.

01/02/2023 15:21:36

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Tyndall’s discovery paved the way for the field of fibre optics and the ability to send signals through fibres no wider than a human hair. One field to
develop has been fibre-optic sensors, whose unique capabilities are helping scientists to conquer new frontiers all over the world.

In fibre-optic sensors, light is transmitted along a central core,
which made of a single filament of either glass or polymer, surrounded by a less refractive and protective sheath, and a robust outer housing. The light is emitted from
the end of the core, at an angle of around 60 degrees.

The fibre is the optical component that transfers the sender light from the amplifier,
back to a receiver in the amplifier. The amplifier transmits, receives and evaluates the light signal, as well as enabling the sensing parameters to be adjusted.

Read the full article in DPA's February issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.