The detection of ultrasound using fibre optic sensors

Ultrasound is a valuable tool for the detection of damage in structures and the characterisation of material properties. Its detection is conventionally done by piezoelectric transducers, however fibre optic sensors can operate over a greater range of frequencies and also yield information on the direction of wave propagation. The interaction between fibre sensors and ultrasound both demonstrates the integrating features of intrinsic fibre optic sensors and presents new opportunities in ultrasonic detection, offering enormous diversity in polar and frequency response. This paper summarises the interaction mechanisms between ultrasound and fibre sensors and confirms their functional flexibility. We use these results to demonstrate the practical use of these sensors to detect and locate damage in a sample