Design, construction and traceable calibration of a phosphor-based fibre-optic thermometer from 0 °C to 650 °C

Measurement traceability, in which there is a documented chain of calibration links from a measurement back to a primary realisation of a unit, is vital for achieving the smallest uncertainty in metrology. A sensor that can provide a traceable link in harsh environments may be advantageous even if its uncertainty is larger than that of typical calibrated devices. A phosphor-based thermometer that has optical rather than electrical connections has been built and then calibrated in terms of the International Temperature Scale of 1990. Its standard uncertainty ranges from 0.5 °C at 0 °C to 2 °C at 650 °C. While this uncertainty cannot match what is possible with thermocouples or resistance thermometers, the optical basis of the sensor means it can be used in situations where electrical connections are precluded.