Alignment considerations in extrinsic fiber-optic sensors

The performance of a fiber-optic sensor and its overall cost depend an the packaging of the sensor. Alignment of different optical, optoelectronic, and mechanical components is a key problem in the package design of a her-optic sensor. An intensity based fiber-optic sensor that can be used as a refractive-index or displacement sensor is considered as a case study in analyzing the effects of alignment on the performance of a fiber-optic sensor. Alignability of this sensor package is defined and calculated, taking into account the coupling efficiency and effects of various misalignments. Guidelines for making the package set that the fiber-optic sensor works more efficiently are developed from our calculations. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.