All-fiber electric field sensor based on whispering-gallery-mode resonances in U-bent single-mode fibers integrated with liquid crystal

We propose an all-fiber electric field sensor using a U-bent single-mode fiber integrated with liquid crystal. The sensing mechanism is based on the interference between whispering-gallery modes and core mode in U-shaped bent fibers. We have experimentally investigated the influences of applied electric voltage as well as polarization state of the incident light on the transmission spectral characteristics of the proposed electric field sensor. The experimental results indicate that the transmission spectra are highly sensitive to the applied voltage and the highest sensitivity reaches 20.4221  nm/kV. The dip wavelengths and transmission loss at transmission dip exhibit a periodic variation behavior in response to the light polarization state rotation by 360 deg, which is in agreement with our theoretical analysis.