Backward influence of the interference signal from the sensors of physical quantities on the radiation intensity spectrum of a low-coherent source

Abstract

We consider specific features of optical-circuit operation in the presence of radiation which is returned to the source after having passed an optical path exceeding the initial coherence length of the reference wave when, as was previously assumed, the delay modulation should not influence the oscillation mode. However, experiments with the Michelson and Sagnac fiber interferometers showed that intensity modulation of the interference signal and, therefore, intensity modulation of the source radiation related to the active-medium nonlinearity appear when the interfering waves with the phase-difference modulation return. The revealed effect leads to distortion of a signal at the interferometer output irrespectively of the delay time and can be removed by placing an optical isolator at the source output.