Position detection and vibration monitoring system using quad-cell optical beam power distribution

In this paper, we study the accuracy of an optical vibration sensing system using Gaussian beam analysis. The proposed optical system uses a He–Ne laser source whose Gaussian beam impinges on a quad-cell photodetector array. The normalized optical power for each cell is obtained through numerical simulation based on the well-known Gaussian beam optics formulation, as the beam scans the plane of the photodetectors due to vibration. The system detection principle lies upon finding a relationship between the power distribution of the quad-cell and the position of the beam centroid, which allows us to identify the characteristics of the vibration applied, such as direction, frequency and strength. The aspects of practical implementation and experimental limitations on the power distribution accuracy are discussed and the discrepancies with the theoretical results are presented.