Distributed optical fiber sensors represent a rapidly emerging technology, as they allow turning an optical fiber cable into a network of sensors, making use of scattering phenomena or weak reflections. Thanks to high performance, narrow spatial resolution, and the possibility to detect a plurality of physical parameters, distributed optical fiber sensors have established as a key technology in long-range temperature and strain sensing, in oil&gas, geosciences, and more recently in medical applications. On one side, the current research on distributed sensors aims at engineering every aspect of the system, improving the principles of operation and hardware implementation, as well as engineering the optical fibers to tune the performance of scattering phenomena. On the other side, we see a consistent trend in using distributed sensors for novel applications, interrogating also electrical, biophysical, and even biological sensors.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a platform for reporting the latest advances in the field of distributed sensors based on optical fiber technologies, both in form of original research articles that discuss the principles, performance, implementation, and/or application of these sensing systems, and to present review or perspective papers that draw a roadmap of this field.
In this framework, we welcome interdisciplinary research works that combine the field of distributed optical fiber sensors with emerging methods and applications.
The Research Topic welcomes contributions in form of original research, review, mini-review, or perspective manuscripts. The areas covered include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Optical time-domain reflectometry
• Optical frequency-domain reflectometry
• Distributed shape and strain sensing
• Distributed acoustic sensors
• Enhanced backscattering fibers
• Applications of distributed sensors
• Emerging topics in distributed sensors
• AI and Big Data applications involving distributed sensors
• Distributed sensors with multicore and other specialty optical fibers
Distributed optical fiber sensors represent a rapidly emerging technology, as they allow turning an optical fiber cable into a network of sensors, making use of scattering phenomena or weak reflections. Thanks to high performance, narrow spatial resolution, and the possibility to detect a plurality of physical parameters, distributed optical fiber sensors have established as a key technology in long-range temperature and strain sensing, in oil&gas, geosciences, and more recently in medical applications. On one side, the current research on distributed sensors aims at engineering every aspect of the system, improving the principles of operation and hardware implementation, as well as engineering the optical fibers to tune the performance of scattering phenomena. On the other side, we see a consistent trend in using distributed sensors for novel applications, interrogating also electrical, biophysical, and even biological sensors.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a platform for reporting the latest advances in the field of distributed sensors based on optical fiber technologies, both in form of original research articles that discuss the principles, performance, implementation, and/or application of these sensing systems, and to present review or perspective papers that draw a roadmap of this field.
In this framework, we welcome interdisciplinary research works that combine the field of distributed optical fiber sensors with emerging methods and applications.
The Research Topic welcomes contributions in form of original research, review, mini-review, or perspective manuscripts. The areas covered include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Optical time-domain reflectometry
• Optical frequency-domain reflectometry
• Distributed shape and strain sensing
• Distributed acoustic sensors
• Enhanced backscattering fibers
• Applications of distributed sensors
• Emerging topics in distributed sensors
• AI and Big Data applications involving distributed sensors
• Distributed sensors with multicore and other specialty optical fibers
