1. An optical sensor element for measuring a parameter, comprising:
a hollow-core ring mode waveguide section having an annular core with an inner surface defining an interior volume, wherein the hollow-core ring mode waveguide section has a mirrored end facet, and wherein at least part of the inner surface forms a parameter sensitive optical interaction area; and
a collapsed end section that transitions from the hollow-core ring mode waveguide section, wherein the collapsed end section includes a solid central core.
2. The optical sensor element of claim 1, further comprising a coating disposed on the inner surface of the annular core, wherein the coating is responsive to the parameter.
3. The optical sensor element of claim 1, further comprising a coating disposed on the inner surface of the annular core, wherein the coating changes refractive index in response to variance in the parameter.
4. The optical sensor element of claim 1, further comprising a substance sealed within the interior volume and in contact with the parameter sensitive optical interaction area, wherein the substance is responsive to the parameter.
5. The optical sensor element of claim 1, wherein the interior volume is open to an environment of the parameter.
6. The optical sensor element of claim 1, wherein an evanescent field is present in the interior volume to interact optically with substances in the interior volume and affect a response signal based on the parameter.
7. The optical sensor element of claim 1, wherein at least one of air, gas, liquid, solid, and a vacuum fills the interior volume.
8. A system for measuring a parameter, comprising:
a light source;
an optical waveguide coupled to the light source, wherein the optical waveguide includes a solid central core;
a sensor element coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the sensor element includes a hollow-core ring mode waveguide section and a collapsed end section that transitions from the hollow-core ring mode waveguide section to at least substantially match the optical waveguide, the hollow-core ring mode waveguide having an annular core with an inner surface defining an interior volume, and wherein the interior volume includes an evanescent field sensitive to a parameter; and
signal processing equipment configured to detect a response signal from the-sensor element and to assess the parameter based on variations in the response signal-due to the evanescent field.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the signal processing equipment further measures attenuation of the response signal in order to assess the parameter.
10. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor element includes a grating disposed in the annular core of the hollow-core ring mode waveguide section, and the signal processing equipment further measures a grating reflection wavelength shift within the response signal in order to assess a parameter.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor element includes a Bragg grating disposed in the annular core of the hollow-core ring mode waveguide section, and the signal processing equipment further measures a Bragg wavelength shift within the response signal in order to assess a parameter.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor element includes a coating disposed on the inner surface, wherein the coating is responsive to a parameter.
13. The optical sensor element of claim 1, further comprising a grating disposed on the inner surface, wherein the grating reflection wavelength is responsive to the parameter.
14. The optical sensor element of claim 1, further comprising an optical waveguide coupled to the collapsed end section.
15. The system of claim 8, wherein at least part of the inner surface forms an optical interaction area sensitive to a parameter.
16. The system of claim 8, wherein the sensor element further comprises a substance sealed within the interior volume and in contact with the inner surface of the annular core, wherein the substance is responsive to the parameter.
17. The optical sensor element of claim 8, further comprising an additional collapsed end section also transitioning to the hollow-core ring mode waveguide section with an additional waveguide spliced to the additional collapsed end section.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A high-voltage configuration, comprising:
three connections including a first connection, a second connection and a third connection;
at least one switching device having a transmission, by which a switch position of said switching device can be varied, with said switching device connecting said first connection to said second connection in a first switch position, connecting said first connection to said third connection in a second switch position, and leaving said three connections unconnected in a third switch position;
a housing having a center axis, said housing being axially symmetrical and said center axis forming an axis of symmetry of said housing;
a drive for said switching device, said drive disposed in said housing on said center axis running through a housing center of said housing, said drive having a drive axis being at right angles to said center axis of said housing; and
two electrical contact elements including a first electrical contact element and a second electrical contact element, a movement path of one of said two electrical contact elements lying on said center axis and parallel to it.
2. The high-voltage configuration according to claim 1, wherein the movement path of said two electrical contact elements is at right angles to said drive axis of said drive.
3. The high-voltage configuration according to claim 1, wherein said housing has a first housing opening and a second housing opening formed therein, with both said first and the second housing openings being suitable for selectively fitting a viewing window or a ground contact connection to them.
4. The high-voltage configuration according to claim 3, wherein said first housing opening and said second housing opening are opposite one another with respect to said axis of symmetry.
5. The high-voltage configuration according to claim 3, further comprising a ground contact connection which forms said the third connection of the high-voltage configuration, and can be connected by said switching device to said first contact.
6. The high-voltage configuration according to claim 3, further comprising a viewing window inserted in one of said first and second housing openings, said first and second housing openings and said viewing window are of such a size and are aligned such that both a position of said first electrical contact element, which can connect said first connection and said second connection to one another, and a position of said second electrical contact element, which can connect said first connection and said third connection to one another, can be seen from an outside through said viewing window.