Optical feedback interferometry for microscale-flow sensing study: numerical simulation and experimental validation

Yu Zhao (1) , Julien Perchoux (1) , Lucie Campagnolo (1) , Thierry Camps (2) , Reza Atashkhooei (3, 1) , Véronique Bardinal (2)

1 LAAS-OSE - Équipe Optoélectronique pour les Systèmes Embarqués
2 LAAS-MICA - Équipe MICrosystèmes d'Analyse
3 UPC - Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya = Université polytechnique de Catalogne [Barcelona]

Optical feedback interferometry (OFI) performance for microscale-flow sensing is studied theoretically and experimentally. A new numerical modeling approach for OFI flow meter spectrum reproduction is presented in this work to study the optical effect on the signal due to the micro-scale channel geometry. Two well-defined frequency peaks are found in the OFI spectrum, this phenomenon can be attributed to the reflection of the forward scattered light on the channel rear interface. The flow rate measurement shows good accuracy over a range of fluid velocities from 16.8 mm/s to 168 mm/s, thus providing a promising tool to study and to optimize the OFI microfluidic sensor system.

Domaines: Dynamique des Fluides [physics.flu-dyn]

Yu Zhao, Julien Perchoux, Lucie Campagnolo, Thierry Camps, Reza Atashkhooei, et al.. Optical feedback interferometry for microscale-flow sensing study: numerical simulation and experimental validation. Optics Express, 2016, 24 (21), pp.23849 - 23849. ⟨10.1364/OE.24.023849⟩. ⟨hal-01446494⟩