Ultrafast laser nano-structuring in transparent glass: enabling 3D fibre-photonics packaging and assembly for high temperature sensing

Fibos Inc.是一家加拿大小公司，旨在通过用全光学传感器取代传统的电子传感器来颠覆工业传感行业。他们的光纤应变传感器本质上是安全的，消除了危险环境中的爆炸风险，提高了工人和设备的安全性。然而，该公司在制造光纤传感器方面面临着巨大的障碍，这种传感器在高温和高压环境中可以坚固耐用且成本效益高，这是对涡轮机转子组件进行传感所需的。当前材料的组装和包装在现有和潜在新客户的高温和压力限制下失败。该Engage项目解决了关键需求，提出了关键传感夹具的“全玻璃”解决方案，从而消除了所有温度较低、强度较低的材料。该方法旨在以一种简单的一体化制造工艺来制造光纤光栅，并将其封装成坚固耐用的光学传感传感器。多伦多大学的团队将应用超快激光来利用他们在“三维”纳米制造方面的专业知识，在薄玻璃纤维中嵌入高度精细的光学设备，同时首次促进玻璃对玻璃的微焊接，以增强传感器的耐用性。如果该项目成功，将给加拿大带来巨大的好处：(1)独特光学传感器制造方面的学术领先地位；(2)知识产权的产生；(3)新的制造工艺和产品概念；(4)培训具有从大学到加拿大工业环境转换的独特技能和诀窍的研发人员；以及(5)为制造、销售和研发人员创造长期就业机会。

Fibos Inc. is a small Canadian company aiming to disrupt the industrial sensing industry by replacing conventional electrical sensors with all-optical ones. Their optical fibre strain sensor is inherently safe, eliminating risks of explosion in hazardous environments that improve safety for workers and equipment. However, the company is facing significant barriers to manufacture fibre optical sensors that can be robust and cost effective for the high temperature and pressure environments as required in sensing rotor assemblies in turbines. Assembly and packaging of the current materials is failing at the high temperature and pressure limits of existing and potential new customers. This Engage project addresses the key requirement by proposing an "all-glass" solution of the key sensing fixture, thereby eliminating all of the lower temperature and lower strength materials. The approach aims for a simple, all-in-one manufacturing procedure to fabricate and package optical fiber gratings into robust optical sensing transducers. The University of Toronto team will apply ultrafast lasers to exploit their expertise in 'three-dimensional' nano-manufacturing to embed high finesse optical devices inside of thin glass fibres, while facilitating glass-to-glass micro-welding for the first time to robust transducers. There are substantial benefits to Canada if this project is successful: (1) academic leadership in 3D manufacturing of unique optical sensors; (2) generation of intellectual property; (3) new manufacturing processes and product concepts; (4) training of R&D personnel with unique skills and knowhow for translation from a university to a Canadian industrial environment; and (5) long-term job creation for manufacturing, sales and R&D personnel.