Simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature by use of a single fiber Bragg grating written in an erbium:ytterbium-doped fiber.

We demonstrate a fiber-optic sensor scheme, capable of the simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature with a single fiber Bragg grating written in an erbium:ytterbium-doped fiber. This compact fiber-grating-based sensor scheme, believed to be novel, can be used for synchronous measurement of strain and temperature over ranges of 1100 microepsilon and 50-180 degrees C with rms errors of 55.8 microepsilon and 3 degrees C, respectively. The simple and low-cost sensor approach has a considerable potential, particularly for wide-range strain-sensing applications in which high resolution is not required.