Temperature and strain discrimination based on a temperature-insensitive birefringent interferometer incorporating an erbium-doped fiber

A simple configuration for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain exploiting a temperature-insensitive birefringent interferometer based on a photonic crystal fiber incorporating an erbium- doped fiber (EDF) is investigated. The transmission peak power of the birefringent interferometer incorporating the EDF is changed by the temperature variation because the amplified spontaneous emission of the EDF strongly depends on temperature. The applied strain changes the peak wavelength of the birefringent interferometer connecting with the EDF, which can make it possible to discriminate concurrent sensitivities like temperature and strain. The temperature and strain sensitivities were -0.04dB/°C and 1.3pm//μe, respectively.