Realization of a polarization-insensitive optical frequency-domain reflectometer using an I/Q homodyne detection

Journal of the European Optical Society-Rapid Publications

Marcelo A. Soto¹  Dominik Ziegler²  Alin Jderu³  Marius Enachescu⁴ 

[1] Department of Electronic Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, 2390123, Valparaíso, Chile;S.C. NanoPRO START MC. S.R.L, Oltenitei, no 388, district 4, Bucharest, Romania;S.C. NanoPRO START MC. S.R.L, Oltenitei, no 388, district 4, Bucharest, Romania;University POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei no. 313, Bucharest, Romania;University POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Splaiul Independentei no. 313, Bucharest, Romania;Academy of Romanian Scientists, 050094, Bucharest, Romania;

关键词: Optical frequency-domain reflectometry;    Distributed optical fiber sensing;    Temperature sensing;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s41476-021-00165-8

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

We report on the development and implementation of an optical frequency-domain reflectometer (OFDR) sensing platform. OFDR allows to measure changes in strain and temperature using optical fibers with a length of several tens of meters with very high spatial resolution. We discuss the operation principles and challenges to implement an OFDR system using optical homodyne detection based on a dual-polarization 90° optical hybrid. Our setup exhibits polarization and phase diversity, fully automated data acquisition and data processing using a LabVIEW-based implemented software environment. Using an optical hybrid enables to discriminate phase, amplitude and polarization by interfering the Rayleigh scatter signal and a local oscillator with four 90° phase stepped interferences between the two signals. Without averaging and a fast acquisition time of 230 ms, our preliminary results show a spatial resolution of 5 cm and a temperature resolution of about 0.1 Kelvin on a 3 m-long fiber.

【 授权许可】

CC BY