Fiber optic sensors: technical trends from the mid-1970s to the present

Over the last 40 years the fiber optic sensor field has changed dramatically. This was driven in part by advances in optical components, optoelectronics, and semiconductors coupled with the emergence of fiber optic communication, compact disks, and DVD readers. This paper contains some illustrations on how key fiber optic sensors have evolved and are interrelated. These improved fiber sensor designs over time in combination with improvements in system components have allowed performance and cost improvements that have resulted in penetration into aerospace and defense, civil structures, oil and gas, electric power, and medical applications.