A novel fiber optic technique for quasi-distributed and dynamic measurement of length change and refractive index

We present a novel technique for dynamic and simultaneous measurement of displacement and refractive indices at multiple reflection points in optical fibers. This quasi-distributed sensor is based on the incoherent optical frequency domain reflectometry (I-OFDR) technique and allows for μm-resolution length change measurement and precise refractive index measurement. We show that the dynamic measurement ability and the simple sensor design allows for new applications in the field of structural health monitoring and chemical process control.