Performance analysis of cyanoacrylate bonded optical fiber 2 × 2 acoustic couplers for sensing applications

In this paper the behavior of a cyanoacrylate (CA) bonded optical fiber acoustic signal coupler will be studied in detail. A stainless-steel mold was used to create a 2×2 CA coupler that transfers guided waves between two optical fibers. Four FBGs placed at each port were used to assess the repeatability, signal behavior, and performance of the coupler produced. Signal propagation through the network was mapped to determine how the initial acoustic signal traveled and subdivided through the fiber network. To examine the repeatability of the signal coupler interaction, the experiments were performed multiple times. Finally, the acoustic energy transferred through the coupler’s paths was calculated to assess the performance of the 2×2 coupler. The coupler successfully and repeatably transferred an acoustic signal from one optical fiber to another; however, the performance associated with the current coupler design was limited by relatively large excess and return losses. Improvements to the CA coupler design are then proposed from the results.