Optical Fiber Sensor Research and Industry in Germany (Invited Review Paper)

Research, technology development and commercialization of optical fiber sensors as well as their continuously growing technical application have become a story of success worldwide and in Germany as well. German fiber sensor research and industry achieved remarkable milestones in the 1980ies and 1990ies, such as first field tests of magneto-optic current sensors in power facilities or of micro-bending fiber strain sensors in a highway bridge. Recent progress and the state of the art of optical fiber sensing in Germany are demonstrated by examples of advanced fiber Bragg grating and distributed sensor system applications, fiber gyroscopes and other interferometric sensors, chemical and bio-medical sensors, and sensors based on polymer fibers as well. Connected with the growing international cooperation, the potential of German research and industry will be discussed briefly in terms of novel fiber-optic sensor system concepts, of increasing maturity and reliability of this exciting sensor technology and of new applications and markets.