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Sensing
Exail leverages years of development for the Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology, now a standard of the inertial sensing market. The technology relies on optical components that have proven their reliability in the most demanding environments. They are now available for the development of other types of sensors. Exail is also a world pioneer in quantum sensing, with its state-of-the-art quantum gravimeters.
A wide range of solutions for OPTICAL SENSING APPLICATIONS
Exail is an expert in the design and manufacturing of state-of-the-art optical components. A solution exists for each of the many sensing applications based on photonics.
For any photonics-based sensor, Exail can deliver doped fiber, Fiber Bragg Gratings, DFBs and phase/intensity modulators for the design of the sensor light source. It can deliver fibers sensible to polarization and passive fibers as a transport medium to deport a measurement from harsh environments. Finally, Exail micro-optical benches are well suited for detection as soon as coherent detection is used.
Absolute Quantum Gravimeter (AQG)
Turn-key transportable quantum gravity sensor relying on cold-atom manipulation, for geoscience, geophysics and civil engineering.
Learn moreCustom integrated micro-optical benches (iMOB) for LiDAR
Custom integrated micro-optical benches (iMOB) represent a ground-breaking approach to design, develop and integrate optical setups with industry-grade optical building blocks.
Learn morePM fiber for Fiber-Optic Current Sensor (FOCS)
Advanced performances polarization maintaining fibers specially designed for FOCS.
Learn morePM, Polarizing & Spun Fibers
Polarization maintaining (PM) fibers that are specifically designed for integration into fiber-optic gyroscopes on or above the Earth. Polarizing (PZ) fiber is designed so that only one state of polarization is guided along the fiber.
Learn moreFBG sideband filter for Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
Exail narrow bandwidth transmission filter IXC-FBG-PS can be used as a narrow band transmission filter in sensing applications.
Learn moreElectro optic modulators for Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
Exail offers the most comprehensive range of commercial phase and intensy lithium niobate (LiNbO3) phase modulators
Learn moreEr/Yb doped fibers for LiDAR
Exail erbium/ytterbium (Er/Yb) doped optical fibers address specific requirements for the assembly of high-power fiber amplifiers and lasers for lidar applications.
Learn moreLithium niobate (LiNbO3) electro optic modulator for laser trackers
Exail offers the most comprehensive range of commercial phase and intensity lithium niobate (LiNbO3) modulators
Learn moreOptical fibers for sensing in harsh environment
Optical fibers are well suited for operation in extreme temperatures and radiative environments. Virtually unlimited design possibilities and optimization are offered by Exail in terms of geometry, doping material, and coating.
Learn moreCustom integrated micro-optical benches (iMOB) for laser trackers
iMOB represent a ground-breaking approach to design, develop and integrate optical setups with industry-grade optical building blocks.
Learn moreLithium niobate (LiNbO3) electro optic modulator for LiDAR
Exail offers the most comprehensive range of commercial phase and intensity lithium niobate (LiNbO3) modulators.
Learn morePolarization switches & scramblers for Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
High speed electro-optic polarization scramblers and polarization switches.
Learn moreMicro-optical bench for Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) and Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)
The micro-optical bench (i.e COH 90°) is a solution for DTS as soon as coherent detection is used. For DAS, it is used to minimize required photonics functionalities.
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Absolute quantum sensing based on laser atom manipulation
Exail Absolute Quantum Gravimeter (AQG) is an industry-grade quantum gravimeters currently operated worldwide by non-specialists, including the top of Mount Etna. Its accuracy relies on cold-atom manipulation thanks to the dedicated Intelligent Laser System (ILS). It is a concentration of Exail expertise in term of optical components and sub-components as it includes: low-noise electronic, integrated micro-optical benches (iMOB), doped fiber, modulators and PPLN.
Optical components for gyro applications leveraging Exail expertise
Exail leverages 30 years of experience in the manufacturing of PM gyro fibers and coils for its own fiber-optic gyroscopes (FOG). Today, Exail is a globally recognized manufacturer of FOG-based inertial navigation systems and equips systems in various markets and environments.
Exail manufactures in-house the sub-components integrated into its inertial navigation systems. The optical fibers dedicated to this application are now available for customers:
High-efficiency LIDAR systems
Exail can deliver a wide range of optical components for the design of high-power laser sources (in pulsed regime) for LIDAR applications: windmills for wind speed measurements, autonomous vehicles for the mapping of their environment, and even LIDAR in space.
Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) phase and intensity modulators and the latest generation of Er/Yb doped fibers are particularly optimized to enable higher efficiency with LIDAR laser sources. On the detection side, Exail customized micro-optical benches can be useful whether the LIDAR systems rely on “time-of-flight” measurement with scan capability (distance measurement) or is dedicated to measure wind speed.
Distributed temperature sensing (DTS)
DTS sensors are distributed sensors of temperature and strain in fiber cables installed along civil engineering structures and pipelines. Exail offers lithium niobate (LiNbO3) electro-optic modulators and matching components (driver/modulation bias controller), but also polarization scrambler, FBG sideband filter and sensing fiber that can be integrated in a sensor for DTS. The micro-optical bench (i.e COH 90° or “90 optical hybrids”) is a solution as soon as coherent detection is used.
Exail optical components are particularly adapted to generate high contrast pulses for DTS using the Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA) technique.
Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS)
Exail can deliver a wide range of optical components to develop fiber-optic sensors for structural health monitoring. By using the DAS technique, those sensors can be directly embedded into structures, to assess bridges’ health or to detect leakages in pipelines, for example.
Exail solutions for this application are lithium niobate (phase and intensity) electro-optic modulators and matching components (driver/modulation bias controller), but also polarization scrambler, FBG sideband filter, sensing fiber, and micro-optical benches (i.e COH 90° or “90 optical hybrids”) to minimize required photonics functionnalities.
Laser trackers
Laser trackers that fit in a single flight case offer precision shaping manufacturing capabilities. They can probe, scan and automatically inspect light objects in their surroundings.
Exail optical solutions, in particular lithium niobate (LiNbO3) phase and intensity modulators and micro-optical benches, enable the development of accurate and high-speed laser trackers able to measure moving targets, for a wide variety of applications in aerospace, automotive and manufacturing.
Sensing in harsh environments
Exail offers specialty optical fibers with virtually unlimited design possibilities and optimization in terms of geometry, doping material, and coating. They can be used for sensing applications in harsh environments, meaning extreme temperature and/or radiation level.
Dosimetry
Exail radiation sensing fibers are designed for radiation sensitive areas, such as high energy physics, nuclear power plants, space, medical labs. Radiation mapping through point or distributed measurement technology is possible. Distributed dosimetry literally replaces potentially tens or hundreds of point detectors by a single optical fiber cable running through your facility.
Exail has worked with leaders in the field (Hubert Curien Lab, CNES, CERN) to develop a fully integrated dosimeter. The prototype LUMINA has been tested on-board the International Space Station (ISS) since 2021, providing valuable insights.
Current sensing
Exail can help you build a robust and long-term reliable Fiber-Optic Current Sensor (FOCS) with a wide range of PM, polarizing and spun fibers, as well as phase and intensity modulators.
Measuring direct current with a FOCS rely on the magneto-optic Faraday effect: two circular polarizations are launched through the coil of a sensing fiber wound around the current conductor; the phase shift between these two polarizations is directly proportional to the DC current to measure.
