Interferometer System Research Articles

An improved high stability and low distortion phase generated carrier demodulation algorithm for phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometers

The phase generated carrier (PGC) demodulation technique for phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (Ф-OTDR) has significant potential in applications involving distributed optical fiber sensing and imaging. An improved PGC demodulation algorithm for a Ф-OTDR combined with an unbalanced Michelson interferometer system is presented in this letter. This modified PGC technique uses the one output signal as a fundamental carrier frequency signal with mathematical transformations, and another output is the modulated signal, which enable the two signals to be output synchronously from the interferometer. Theoretical simulations and experiments demonstrate that the linear and nonlinear distortion caused by phase modulation depth and carrier phase delay are well suppressed by the proposed algorithm with high stability and low distortion. The signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio of sensors using the proposed method in the same conditions achieve gains of 12.98 dB, 30.82 dB and 6.93 dB over PGC-Arctan, PGC-differential-and-cross-multiplying and PGC-single-path differential division method, respectively. Experimental verification shows that the proposed demodulation system can exactly recover the original signals of multiple vibration positions simultaneously, and the system employing the ameliorated PGC demodulation algorithm has the noise level of about 1.83 × 10−4 rad (√Hz)−1 and a large dynamic range of 65.72 dB @ 800 Hz, which provides a new choice for distributed optical fiber sensing technology.

Modular-assembled laser system for a long-baseline atom interferometer.

The Zhaoshan long-baseline Atom Interferometer Gravitation Antenna (ZAIGA) is a new, to the best of our knowledge, type of large-scale atom interferometer facility under construction for the study of gravitation and related problems. To meet the different requirements of the laser system for the atom interferometer using various atoms (including 85Rb, 87Rb, 87Sr, and 88Sr), we design and implement a modular assembled laser system. By dividing the laser system into different basic units according to their functions and modularizing each unit, the laser system is made highly scalable while being compact and stable. Its intensity stability is better than 0.1% in 102s and 0.5% in 104s. We test the performance of the laser system with two experimental systems, i.e., an 85Rb-87Rb dual-species ultracold atom source and an 85Rb atom interferometer. The 85Rb-87Rb dual-species magneto-optical trap and the 85Rb atom interference fringes are realized by using this laser system, indicating that its technical performance can meet the major experimental requirements.

Asteroids for μHz gravitational-wave detection

A major challenge for gravitational-wave (GW) detection in the $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{Hz}$ band is engineering a test mass (TM) with sufficiently low acceleration noise. We propose a GW detection concept using asteroids located in the inner Solar System as TMs. Our main purpose is to evaluate the acceleration noise of asteroids in the $\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{Hz}$ band. We show that a wide variety of environmental perturbations are small enough to enable an appropriate class of $\ensuremath{\sim}10\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{km}$-diameter asteroids to be employed as TMs. This would allow a sensitive GW detector in the band $(\mathrm{few})\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}7}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{f}_{\mathrm{GW}}\ensuremath{\lesssim}(\mathrm{few})\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}$, reaching strain ${h}_{c}\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}19}$ around ${f}_{\mathrm{GW}}\ensuremath{\sim}10\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{Hz}$, sufficient to detect a wide variety of sources. To exploit these asteroid TMs, human-engineered base stations could be deployed on multiple asteroids, each equipped with an electromagnetic transmitter/receiver to permit measurement of variations in the distance between them. We discuss a potential conceptual design with two base stations, each with a space-qualified optical atomic clock measuring the round-trip electromagnetic pulse travel time via laser ranging. Trade space exists to optimize multiple aspects of this mission: for example, using a radio-ranging or interferometric link system instead of laser ranging. This motivates future dedicated technical design study. This mission concept holds exceptional promise for accessing this GW frequency band.

Grating Interferometer with Redundant Design for Performing Wide-Range Displacement Measurements.

Grating interferometers that use large two-dimensional grating splice modules for performing wide-range measurements have significant advantages for identifying the position of the wafer stage. However, the manufacturing process of large two-dimensional grating splice modules is very difficult. In contrast to existing redundant designs in the grating line dimension, we propose a novel interferometric reading head with a redundant design for obtaining wide-range displacement measurements. This interferometric reading head uses a one-dimensional grating splice module, and it was observed to be compatible with two orthogonal gratings. We designed a grating interferometer system composed of four reading heads to achieve a wide range of measurements and verified it using ZEMAX simulation. By conducting experiments, we were able to verify the compatibility of the reading head with gratings possessing different grating line directions; the measurement noise was found to be less than 0.3 nm.

The science case and challenges of space-borne sub-millimeter interferometry

Ultra-high angular resolution in astronomy has always been an important vehicle for making fundamental discoveries. Recent results in direct imaging of the vicinity of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the radio galaxy M87 by the millimeter VLBI system Event Horizon Telescope and various pioneering results of the Space VLBI mission RadioAstron provided new momentum in high angular resolution astrophysics. In both mentioned cases, the angular resolution reached the values of about 10–20 microarcseconds (0.05–0.1 nanoradian). Further developments towards at least an order of magnitude “sharper” values, at the level of 1 microarcsecond are dictated by the needs of advanced astrophysical studies. The paper emphasis that these higher values can only be achieved by placing millimeter and submillimeter wavelength interferometric systems in space. A concept of such the system, called Terahertz Exploration and Zooming-in for Astrophysics, has been proposed in the framework of the ESA Call for White Papers for the Voyage 2050 long term plan in 2019. In the current paper we present new science objectives for such the concept based on recent results in studies of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes. We also discuss several approaches for addressing technological challenges of creating a millimeter/sub-millimeter wavelength interferometric system in space. In particular, we consider a novel configuration of a space-borne millimeter/sub-millimeter antenna which might resolve several bottlenecks in creating large precise mechanical structures. The paper also presents an overview of prospective space-qualified technologies of low-noise analogue front-end instrumentation for millimeter/sub-millimeter telescopes. Data handling and processing instrumentation is another key technological component of a sub-millimeter Space VLBI system. Requirements and possible implementation options for this instrumentation are described as an extrapolation of the current state-of-the-art Earth-based VLBI data transport and processing instrumentation. The paper also briefly discusses approaches to the interferometric baseline state vector determination and synchronisation and heterodyning system. The technology-oriented sections of the paper do not aim at presenting a complete set of technological solutions for sub-millimeter (terahertz) space-borne interferometers. Rather, in combination with the original ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper, it sharpens the case for the next generation microarcsecond-level imaging instruments and provides starting points for further in-depth technology trade-off studies.

INCREASING OF HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETER SENSITIVITY BY DIGITAL METHODS

The development of methods for increasing the sensitivity of interferometers intended for studying complex phase media, which are characterized by abrupt changes in internal inhomogeneities, is a very urgent task. The aim of the study, the results of which are presented in the article, is a theoretical analysis of the possibility of improving the sensitivity of the output data of a holographic interferometer using digital methods of processing optical information. The research results showed that the presence of digital information about the object and reference waves and about the interference pattern recorded by the CCD matrix allows performing various mathematical operations on these data, after which they can again be displayed on the screen, i.e., visualized. These operations can be carried out both in the sections from the object to the output plane, and at the output of the system, directly with the intensity distribution, which is fixed by the CCD matrix. A sequence of numerical operations is proposed, which makes it possible to increase the sensitivity of the holographic system by a factor of 2m , where m  0,1, 2, 3,.... It is also shown that the increase in sensitivity according to the indicated scheme is limited only by possible speckle noise, which can worsen the contrast of the fringes of the interference pattern. The proposed method for increasing the sensitivity of the interferometer, in contrast to the known ones, does not rely on hardware changes in interferometric systems, which is associated with high costs, but digitally improves the characteristics of the output data of low-sensitivity interferometers. The results of the work can be used in studies of complex phase media.

A Study of Post‐Sunset Spread‐F Initiation During the 2013 EVEX Campaign

AbstractEquatorial Vortex Experiment (EVEX), the EVEX mission of May 2013, carried out from Roi‐Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, explored the initiation physics of equatorial spread‐F with a pair of rockets launched simultaneously during local sunset to apogees of 182 and 331 km, respectively. EVEX measurements presented in this paper establish the existence of a differential zonal flow between plasma and neutrals at bottom‐side F‐region heights during the sunset time in support of a post‐sunset spread‐F initiation mechanism described in Kudeki et al. (2007) that is characterized by large growth rates for oblique‐propagating 10's‐of‐km‐scale electron density perturbations. F‐region plasma drifts were measured in situ using an electric field double‐probe instrument while neutral winds were measured by triangulating drifting vapor clouds. The state of the ionosphere and spread‐F irregularities were monitored by ground based ARPA Long‐Range Tracking and Instrumentation Radar and Illinois Radar Interferometer System radars using incoherent and coherent scatter techniques, respectively, as well as an ionosonde.

A new woven composite constitutive model validated by shock wave experiments

In this paper, we present results of plate impact simulations of shock compressed woven glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GRP) performed using the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian three-dimensional finite element code. A hyperelastic large-strain-based empirical Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) formulation is employed to describe damage initiation and growth in the shock-compressed GRP. The model parameters calibration scheme utilizes the Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector normal particle velocity measurements at the free surface of the GRP target plates. The impact velocity in the experiments ranged from 8.5 to 418 m/s. The finite element model considered planar 0°/90° bidirectional plies with an individual ply thickness of 0.68 mm, stacked to reach a total laminate thickness of 6.8 mm. The anisotropic elastic strains were estimated from the experimentally determined tetragonal symmetry stiffness matrix for the GRP. The strain-based damage model captures several salient features observed in the measured free surface particle wave profiles, including the shock rise time, onset of Elastic—Elastic Cracking, and the shape of the nonlinear portion of the experimental particle velocity profiles. The CDM model predicts the dominant damage mode to be matrix microcracking due to shear and the associated bulk expansion (bulking) under the global compressive loading in the plate impact configuration.

Design of frequency-difference stabilizing system for two-cavity dual-frequency Nd:YAG laser using quadrature-demodulated Pound–Drever–Hall method

To stabilize the frequency-difference of the two-cavity dual-frequency Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm, a quadrature-demodulated Pound–Drever–Hall (QD-PDH) frequency-difference stabilizing system has been designed, which is composed of two sets of QD-PDH frequency stabilizing subsystems sharing the same Fabry–Perot cavity as the frequency reference. Both phase modulators are driven by the signals with the same frequency of 10 MHz generated by a single direct digital synthesizer (DDS), and the DDS also outputs the other two orthogonal signals as the demodulation reference signals of both frequency stabilizing subsystems. A QD-PDH frequency-difference stabilizing system for a two-cavity dual-frequency Nd:YAG laser with a frequency-difference of ∼24 GHz at 1064 nm has been established and investigated experimentally. The experimental results have indicated that during a period of 1 h, the laser frequency stabilities of the linear and right-angle cavities are estimated by Allan variance to be better than 2.3 × 10 − 11 and 2.7 × 10 − 11, respectively, corresponding to frequency-difference stability of better than 4.2 × 10 − 7. Such a frequency-difference-stabilized two-cavity dual-frequency Nd:YAG laser can be used as an ideal light source for the synthetic-wave absolute-distance interferometric system.

Single-element real-time interferometric system for measuring dynamic temperature field of liquid medium

Temperature plays an important role in biomedicine and industrial production. In this study, we demonstrate a simple and reliable real-time interferometric system based on a single-element for measuring the dynamic temperature field of liquid media. In the proposed system, the reference beam and the object beam enter the beam splitter cube with a splitting ratio of 50:50 to produce interference fringes. The interference light arrives at the observation plane of a CMOS camera after being attenuated, which is capable of monitoring the change process of space carrier phase shift distribution in real time. The common optical path design eliminates the environmental disturbance. The phase shift of the interferograms as the optical path difference between the reference beam passing through liquid and the object beam passing through air is calculated by fast Fourier transform. The temperature changes of 50% polyacrylamide hydrogel (25–65 °C), 4% NaCl (25–65 °C), and ethanol (20–60 °C) were measured by our proposed system. During the experiment, we successfully measured the dynamically changing temperature field of deionized water subjected to a heating and cooling process (25–40 °C). The proposed system offers the advantages of compact structure, high efficiency, long-term stability, and low cost, and it is expected to assist non-contact measurements and biomedical research, making it a viable reference candidate for the field of environmental ecology and medicine.

TIA: A forward model and analyzer for Talbot interferometry experiments of dense plasmas

Interferometry is one of the most sensitive and successful diagnostic methods for plasmas. However, owing to the design of most common interferometric systems, the wavelengths of operation and, therefore, the range of densities and temperatures that can be probed are severely limited. Talbot–Lau interferometry offers the possibility of extending interferometry measurements to x-ray wavelengths by means of the Talbot effect. While there have been several proof-of-concept experiments showing the efficacy of this method, it is only recently that experiments to probe High Energy Density (HED) plasmas using Talbot–Lau interferometry are starting to take place. To improve these experimental designs, we present here the Talbot-Interferometry Analyzer (TIA) tool, a forward model for generating and postprocessing synthetic x-ray interferometry images from a Talbot–Lau interferometer. Although TIA can work with any two-dimensional hydrodynamic code to study plasma conditions as close to reality as possible, this software has been designed to work by default with output files from the hydrodynamic code FLASH, making the tool user-friendly and accessible to the general plasma physics community. The model has been built into a standalone app, which can be installed by anyone with access to the MATLAB runtime installer and is available upon request to the authors.

Temperature dependence of the thermo-optic coefficient in 4H-SiC and GaN slabs at the wavelength of 1550\xa0nm

The refractive index and its variation with temperature, i.e. the thermo-optic coefficient, are basic optical parameters for all those semiconductors that are used in the fabrication of linear and non-linear opto-electronic devices and systems. Recently, 4H single-crystal silicon carbide (4H-SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) have emerged as excellent building materials for high power and high-temperature electronics, and wide parallel applications in photonics can be consequently forecasted in the near future, in particular in the infrared telecommunication band of λ = 1500–1600 nm. In this paper, the thermo-optic coefficient (dn/dT) is experimentally measured in 4H-SiC and GaN substrates, from room temperature to 480 K, at the wavelength of 1550 nm. Specifically, the substrates, forming natural Fabry–Perot etalons, are exploited within a simple hybrid fiber free-space optical interferometric system to take accurate measurements of the transmitted optical power in the said temperature range. It is found that, for both semiconductors, dn/dT is itself remarkably temperature-dependent, in particular quadratically for GaN and almost linearly for 4H-SiC.

High precision six-degree-of-freedom interferometer for test mass readout

High precision six-degree-of-freedom sensing plays an important role in future gravitational space missions. In gravitational or geodesy missions, measurements of all six degrees of freedom of freely floating test mass are required for reducing the cross-coupling noise, which is frequently an important limiting factor in the performance. Interferometry and capacitive sensing have been successfully combined in LISA pathfinder to achieve six degrees of freedom measurements. In this paper, we report a six-degree-of-freedom interferometer system based on multiplex differential wavefront sensing and longitudinal pathlength sensing. Compared to conventional capacitive sensing or optical levers, it has a higher measurement accuracy. The results of our table-top experiment show motion in all six degrees of freedom of a cubic test mass are simultaneously measured with a translational and tilt sensitivity of 100 pm/Hz1/2 and 10 nrad Hz−1/2 above 1 Hz, respectively. The translational dynamic range is greater than ±10 mm with nonlinear residuals less than 6 μm, and the tilt dynamic range is approximately ±500 μrad with nonlinear residuals less than 60 μrad. The coupling errors between multiple degrees of freedom are dominated by tilt-to-translation and tilt-to-tilt coupling, which are roughly 2–4 μm and 15–25 μrad, respectively, within a range of [−500 μrad, +500 μrad].

Improved multi-channel interferometric fiber-optic sensor demodulation based on the Goertzel algorithm.

In a multi-channel interferometric fiber-optic sensor system using space-division multiplexing (SDM) and phase-generated-carrier (PGC) demodulation, the phase delay and phase modulation depth fluctuation of each channel will affect the amplitude consistency and harmonic distortion of the demodulation results. In this paper, an improved demodulation scheme based on the Goertzel algorithm is proposed to calculate the multi-channel phase delay and phase modulation depth and to compensate for their fluctuations simultaneously. First, the carrier's 1st to 6th harmonic amplitudes in the interference fringe are extracted using the Goertzel algorithm. Then, the phase delay is calculated using the real and imaginary components of the 1st harmonic amplitude. The phase modulation depth is calculated with a combinatorial operation of the 1st to 6th harmonic amplitudes. In addition, a reference channel is introduced to implement phase delay and modulation depth feedback control. The experimental results demonstrate that the improved scheme can effectively suppress the harmonic distortion and improve the amplitude consistency of multi-channel interferometric fiber-optic sensors with low resource consumption.

Reliability Demodulation Algorithm Design for Phase Generated Carrier Signal

Phase-generated carrier (PGC) demodulation technology has been widely used in fiber-optic interferometric sensors system in recent years. Nonlinear errors caused by interference noise and parasitic amplitude modulation (AM) are key factors that affect the reliability of traditional PGC demodulation system based on arctangent (PGC-Arctan) algorithm. In order to enhance the reliable performance of PGC demodulation system under the conditions of low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and high parasitic AM interference, an ellipse fitting algorithm based on the Gauss–Newton iteration (GNI) is proposed, which is called the PGC-Arctan-GNI demodulation algorithm. The proposed algorithm uses the Euclidean distance to accurately estimate the geometric parameters of ellipse, which can correct the nonlinear distortion of the demodulated signal. In addition, the PGC demodulation system designed based on GNI algorithm has the advantages of strong antinoise ability, good antiparasitic AM ability, and widely dynamic range of the input signal amplitude. Experimental results show that, compared with the direct demodulation algorithm and the ellipse fitting algorithm based on the least squares (LS) method, the SINAD value of the proposed algorithm is always greater than 30 dB and higher than the other two algorithms under the condition of low SNR. Under the condition that the parasitic AM index <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$m$</tex-math></inline-formula> changes from 0 to 0.5, the signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SINAD) curve of the proposed algorithm is more stable than the curves of the other two algorithms, and the fluctuation range of the SINAD value does not exceed 3 dB. This algorithm also has a wider input signal amplitude range than the LS algorithm. Especially, when the amplitude of the measured signal is less than <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pi$</tex-math></inline-formula> /2, the relative amplitude error of the GNI algorithm is less than 2% and significantly smaller than the LS algorithm. Finally, the demodulation results using real measured data in the actual system show that the frequency and amplitude of the demodulated signal are same as the original signal. At the same time, the SNIAD value of this system reaches 67.40 dB, the spurious-free dynamic range value reaches 68.82 dB, and the total harmonic distortion value reaches -68.40 dB@1 KHz. In summary, the proposed PGC-Arctan-GNI algorithm can eliminate system nonlinear errors caused by the parasitic AM, harmonics, and noise interference by estimating the ellipse parameters, thereby effectively enhancing the stability and reliability of the PGC demodulation system.

On filamentation in the dense plasma focus

Striking pictures showing filamentary structures in the plasma focus have intrigued researchers from the early days of plasma focus research. A definitive understanding of their occurrence, origin, structure, and role in plasma focus physics is still not in sight as summarized in a recent comprehensive review. This is because they are often not observed in a “standard mode” of plasma focus operation with pure deuterium, particularly in large installations, but are found in smaller experiments or those with gaseous admixtures. This has led to the suspicion that filaments are not a native feature of the plasma focus phenomenon. Recent success in observation of filaments in PF-1000 in pure deuterium operation by novel modification of the interferometer system that allows simultaneous interferometry and schlieren photography changes this situation. This Letter looks at the implications of this development in the larger context of plasma focus physics. Conceptualization of filamentation as a native feature of the traveling current distribution behind an ionizing strong shock wave is shown to be a feasible paradigm that can be formulated as a computable model for filamentation in the plasma focus.

Signal recognition method based on Mel frequency cepstral coefficients and fast dynamic time warping for optical fiber perimeter defense systems.

To improve the accuracy of signal recognition in optical fiber perimeter defense systems, a method based on Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and a fast dynamic time warping (FastDTW) algorithm is proposed. Four kinds of sensing signals are acquired by employing an in-line Sagnac interferometer system. MFCC features of the signals are extracted. The FastDTW algorithm is utilized to calculate distances of the optimal warping paths between a test sample and all reference templates. According to the nearest neighbor criterion, signal recognition results are obtained. The average accuracy is over 96%. This proposed identification method is highly efficient and easy to implement.

Characterizations and Use of Recycled Optical Components for Polarizing Phase-Shifting Interferometry Applications

In this research, we report using optical components such as cubic beam splitters, lenses, diffraction gratings, and mirrors from broken, obsolete, or disused electronic devices to implement a simultaneous polarization-based phase-shifting interferometric system. The system is composed of a polarized Mach–Zehnder interferometer (PMZI) which generates a sample pattern coupled to a 4f imaging system with a diffraction grating placed on its Fourier plane. Such a diffractive element replicates the pattern generated by the PMZI, and each replica is centered and modulated by each diffraction order generated by the grating. The corresponding individual phase shifts are controlled by placing linear polarizers with known angles in front of each replica. Experimental results are presented using several phase samples such as an oil drop, a pseudoscorpion claw, a microarthropod, and red blood cells. In addition, a comparison of the retrieved phase was conducted by employing two different phase demodulation algorithms.

A New Baseline Measurement Method for Multinode and Multibaseline Interferometric SAR Systems Using Fiber Bragg Gratings

The multinode multibaseline interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurement system is the future development trend in the field of aviation remote sensing. The deformation error between the nodes directly affects the position and orientation error compensation of the load at the node, and the baseline length error directly affects the interferometric phase error compensation. Aiming at the particularity of the wing structure, a structural deformation measurement and baseline measurement method based on the strain mode is proposed. The fiber Bragg grating sensor is used to acquire the strain of each measuring point on the wing in real time, and the deformation of the wing is accurately measured by the modal superposition method, thereby realizing the high-precision measurement of the baseline between the nodes. The measurement result of the dual total station is the benchmark, and the validation of the method was carried out on the existing test system in the laboratory. Under static conditions, the experimental test results show that the wing deformation measurement accuracy is better than 1 mm, and the baseline measurement accuracy is better than 0.5 mm.

High-Precision Calibration of Phase-Only Spatial Light Modulators

In the fields of optics and photonics, phase-only spatial light modulators (SLMs) play an increasingly important role in wave-front engineering. However, the SLMs are subject to wavefront distortion arising from the imperfection in the birefringence effect and physical structure of modulators. This paper presents a simple self-interference phase calibration method applicable to liquid-crystal SLM. We build an interferometric imaging system based on the Pancharatnam phase-shifting to measure the phase distribution of a light beam coming from SLMs. Two types of phase modulation errors of SLMs can be characterized in the measurement process: the erroneous gamma curve and shape aberration. The former belongs to dynamic phase distortion and is measured through a four-step Pancharatnam phase-shifting interference, which allows a one-shot recording of interference pattern via a polarization camera; the latter represents static phase distortion and is extracted from the interference between light waves coming from different regions of the SLM panel by using Zernike polynomial fitting. Our method has the advantages of high-precision pixel-wise phase correction and robustness against environmental disturbance and thus can facilitate the applications of SLM in optical field manipulation.