Quasi-Distributed Refractive Index Sensing by Stimulated Brillouin Scattering in Tapered Optical Fibers

In this paper, we demonstrate that multiple tapers in optical fibers allow for quasi-distributed refractive index sensing via a high spatial resolution Brillouin Optical Frequency-Domain Analysis (BOFDA) configuration. We first characterize, theoretically and experimentally, the variation of the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) with the diameter of the tapered fiber. Then, we characterize the dependence of the BFS from the outer refractive index in an optical fiber taper with a waist diameter of 10 mu m. Finally, we show that more tapers can be realized along the same fiber, in order to provide multi-point refractive index sensing.