Recent developments in polymer optical fiber strain sensors: A short review

Abstract

Polymer optical fiber (POF) strain sensors have attracted increasing attention owing to the unique features of polymer over silica such as lower Young’s modulus, larger elastic strain limit, higher fracture toughness, bio-compatibility, and lower production cost. Several POF strain sensors have been developed in recent years for applications in various technological fields, including structural health monitoring in civil construction and aerospace industries, biomedicine, and robotics. The principles of operation, prospects and challenges of the POF strain sensors are discussed in this article under five broad categories: POF fiber Bragg grating sensors, intensity-based POF sensors, multimodal interference-based sensors, Brillouin-frequency-based sensors, and Fabry–Perot cavity sensor. This review aims to highlight areas where further research is required for improving the performance and operating range of POF strain sensors.