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Article: Fibre optic sensors exploit rare earths.
- Article from:
- Advanced Ceramics Report
- Article date:
- October 1, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 International Newsletters. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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US researchers have developed high-temperature optical sensors that exploit the narrow-band emission peculiar to rare earths.
According to their developers, from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, these fibre optic sensors are suitable for use in harsh environments at temperatures above 1700[degrees]C--the maximum that platinum/rhodium thermocouples can withstand.
These optical sensors can operate at 2000[degrees]C or more, the maximum temperature depending on the choice of the rare earth dopant.
Specifically, a sensor of this type is an optical fibre, coated at its ...