2019 Volume 16 Issue 8 Pages 20190135
We observe multimodal interference in single-mode-multimode-single-mode sensors comprising short polymer optical fibers (POFs) with lengths from 100 mm down to 7 mm. Characteristic spectral peaks/dips are observed not in the conventionally used telecom band but around 1000 nm. We find that the dip wavelength depends on temperature but that the sensitivity is much lower than those obtained in the longer wavelength range when longer POFs are used. We discuss the possibility that, even with the reduced sensitivity, our success in observing multimodal interference in millimeter-long optical fibers will be a basis toward the combined use of frequency and intensity information in conventional fiber-optic single-point sensors for discriminative measurement of multiple physical parameters.