Opt Lett. 2023 May 15;48(10):2615-2618. doi: 10.1364/OL.488862.
Fiber-optic hydrophones (FOHs) are widely used to detect high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) fields. The most common type consists of an uncoated single-mode fiber with a perpendicularly cleaved end face. The main disadvantage of these hydrophones is their low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To increase the SNR, signal averaging is performed, but the associated increased acquisition times hinder ultrasound field scans. In this study, with a view to increasing SNR while withstanding HIFU pressures, the bare FOH paradigm is extended to include a partially reflective coating on the fiber end face. Here, a numerical model based on the general transfer-matrix method was implemented. Based on the simulation results, a single-layer, 172 nm TiO-coated FOH was fabricated. The frequency range of the hydrophone was verified from 1 to 30 MHz. The SNR of the acoustic measurement with the coated sensor was 21 dB higher than that of the uncoated one. The coated sensor successfully withstood a peak positive pressure of 35 MPa for 6000 pulses.
光纤水听器(FOHs)广泛用于检测高强度聚焦超声(HIFU)场。最常见的类型由无涂层单模光纤和垂直切割的端面组成。这些水听器的主要缺点是信噪比(SNR)低。为了提高 SNR,需要进行信号平均,但相关的采集时间增加会阻碍超声场扫描。在这项研究中,为了在承受 HIFU 压力的同时提高 SNR,将裸光纤水听器范式扩展到包括光纤端面的部分反射涂层。在这里,实现了基于广义传输矩阵方法的数值模型。基于仿真结果,制造了一个单层、172nmTiO 涂层的 FOH。水声测量的频率范围从 1 到 30MHz 进行了验证。与未涂层传感器相比,涂层传感器的声测量 SNR 提高了 21dB。涂层传感器成功承受了 35MPa 的峰值正压 6000 次脉冲。