This special issue of Measurement Science and Technology, led by Guest Editors David D Sampson, Julian D C Jones and Ralph P Tatam, provides an overview of current developments in the field of optical fibre sensors. The papers presented here are more detailed versions of those presented at the 19th Optical Fibre Sensors conference (OFS-19) held in Perth, Western Australia between 14-18 April, 2008.

This issue demonstrates the breadth of the field of optical fibre sensors, with papers describing applications in the oil and gas industry, in water and air quality, in civil engineering, as well as new sensors, sensor systems and methods for sensing. In addition, there are papers concerning sensor fabrication and calibration, as well as components of sensing systems.

There are also topics represented here worthy of specific mention. The engineering of nanostructured materials promises much in the field of sensing in general, and is in evidence in the field of fibre sensing in this issue. Microengineered mechanical structures also promise much for sensing, and here the elegant engineering of a cantilever on a fibre end-face for refractometry is presented. There are also a number of papers dealing with new solutions to known problems, as well as practical systems for use in the oil and gas industry.

Optical fibre sensors have always provided fertile ground for new ideas and this issue proves no exception.

To read the papers in this special issue visit Measurement Science and Technology volume 20 issue 3 or click here to read the issue, which is free until 4 March 2009.

Source: http://www.iop.org/EJ/news/-topic=1388 .