Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry System Research Articles

Extended-bandwidth frequency sweeps of a distributed feedback laser using combined injection current and temperature modulation.

This article details the generation of an extended-bandwidth frequency sweep using a single, communication grade distributed feedback (DFB) laser. The frequency sweep is generated using a two-step technique. In the first step, injection current modulation is employed as a means of varying the output frequency of a DFB laser over a bandwidth of 99.26 GHz. A digital optical phase lock loop is used to lock the frequency sweep speed during current modulation, resulting in a linear frequency chirp. In the second step, the temperature of the DFB laser is modulated, resulting in a shifted starting laser output frequency. A laser frequency chirp is again generated beginning at this shifted starting frequency, resulting in a frequency-shifted spectrum relative to the first recorded data. This process is then repeated across a range of starting temperatures, resulting in a series of partially overlapping, frequency-shifted spectra. These spectra are then aligned using cross-correlation and combined using averaging to form a single, broadband spectrum with a total bandwidth of 510.9 GHz. In order to investigate the utility of this technique, experimental testing was performed in which the approach was used as the swept-frequency source of a coherent optical frequency domain reflectometry system. This system was used to interrogate an optical fiber containing a 20 point, 1-mm pitch length fiber Bragg grating, corresponding to a period of 100 GHz. Using this technique, both the periodicity of the grating in the frequency domain and the individual reflector elements of the structure in the time domain were resolved, demonstrating the technique's potential as a method of extending the sweeping bandwidth of semiconductor lasers for frequency-based sensing applications.

Field-programmable gate array-controlled sweep velocity-locked laser pulse generator

A field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-controlled sweep velocity-locked laser pulse generator (SV-LLPG) design based on an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) is proposed. A distributed feedback laser with modulated injection current was used as a swept-frequency laser source. An open-loop predistortion modulation waveform was calibrated using a feedback iteration method to initially improve frequency sweep linearity. An ADPLL control system was then implemented using an FPGA to lock the output of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer that was directly proportional to laser sweep velocity to an on-board system clock. Using this system, linearly chirped laser pulses with a sweep bandwidth of 111.16 GHz were demonstrated. Further testing evaluating the sensing utility of the system was conducted. In this test, the SV-LLPG served as the swept laser source of an optical frequency-domain reflectometry system used to interrogate a subterahertz range fiber structure (sub-THz-FS) array. A static strain test was then conducted and linear sensor results were observed.

Improving OFDR spatial resolution by reducing external clock sampling error

Utilizing an auxiliary interferometer to produce external clock signals as the data acquirement clock is widely used to compensate the nonlinearity of the tunable laser source (TLS) in optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR). However, this method is not always accurate because of the large optical length difference of both arms in the auxiliary interferometer. To investigate the deviation, we study the source and influence of the external clock sampling error in OFDR system. Based on the model, we find that the sampling error declines with the increase of the TLS's optical frequency tuning rate. The spatial resolution can be as high as 4.8cm and the strain sensing location accuracy can be up to 0.15m at the measurement length of 310m under the minimum sampling error with the optical frequency tuning rate of 2500GHz/s. Hence, the spatial resolution can be improved by reducing external clock sampling error in OFDR system.

Compensation of phase error in optical frequency-domain reflectometry using delay-matched sampling

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a delay-match sampling method to measure and compensate the laser phase error in optical frequency-domain reflectometry system. By using the error signal extracted from a simple auxiliary Mach-Zehnder interferometer with only a 10-ns delay, the laser phase error is effectively compensated. Considerable improvement is achieved in spatial resolution from 200 m to 7 cm at a measurement distance over 10 times the round-trip laser coherence length.

Compensation of laser frequency tuning nonlinearity of a long range OFDR using deskew filter

We present a simple and effective method to compensate the optical frequency tuning nonlinearity of a tunable laser source (TLS) in a long range optical frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR) by using the deskew filter, where a frequency tuning nonlinear phase obtained from an auxiliary interferometer is used to compensate the nonlinearity effect on the beating signals generated from a main OFDR interferometer. The method can be applied to the entire spatial domain of the OFDR signals at once with a high computational efficiency. With our proposed method we experimentally demonstrated a factor of 93 times improvement in spatial resolution by comparing the results of an OFDR system with and without nonlinearity compensation. In particular we achieved a measurement range of 80 km and a spatial resolution of 20 cm and 1.6 m at distances of 10 km and 80 km, respectively with a short signal processing time of less than 1 s for 5 × 10(6) data points. The improved performance of the OFDR with a high spatial resolution, a long measurement range and a short process time will lead to practical applications in the real-time monitoring, test and measurement of fiber optical communication networks and sensing systems.

Spatial-Resolution Improvement in Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry System Based on Tunable Linear Fiber Laser

In optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) system, the spatial resolution is obtained by using the total frequency-sweep span of the tunable laser. However, in practice, the spatial resolution is severely limited by nonlinearity in the lightwave-frequency sweep of the tunable laser. A closed-loop PZT modulated DBR linear fiber laser is proposed to improve the spatial resolution of the OFDR system. Experimental results show that the spatial resolution of OFDR system has improved greatly. When the frequency sweep excursion is 66GHz and the fiber under test (FUT) is 7 m, the OFDR system has a spatial resolution of 1.5 m with open-loop PZT modulated laser. But the spatial resolution increases to 35 cm with closed-loop PZT modulated laser.

Optical frequency-domain reflectometry with a rapid wavelength-scanning superstructure-grating distributed Bragg reflector laser

Superstructure-grating distributed Bragg reflector lasers are particularly suited for optical frequency-domain reflectometry optical-coherence tomography with wide wavelength tunability and frequency agility. We report theoretical estimates of and experimental results for the data acquisition speed, the observable depth range, the resolution, and the dynamic range of an optical frequency-domain reflectometry system that uses a superstructure-grating distributed Bragg reflector laser whose wavelength can be tuned from 1533 to 1574 nm with a tuning speed of 10 micros/0.1-nm step.

High resolution optical frequency domain reflectometry for characterization of components and assemblies

We describe a technique for polarization sensitive optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) that achieves 22 micrometer two-point spatial resolution over 35 meters of optical length with -97 dB sensitivity in a single measurement taking only seconds. We demonstrate OFDR's versatility in both time- and frequency-domain metrology by analyzing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in both the spectral and impulse response domains. We also demonstrate how a polarization diversity receiver can be used in an OFDR system to track changes in the polarization state of light propagating through a birefringent component.

Single-stage photodiode op-amp solution suited for a self-mixing fmcw system

The current delivered by the photodiode in a self-mixing frequency modulated continuous wave or optical frequency domain reflectometry system consists of a dc-current resulting from the local oscillator, the reflected signal, dark current in the photodiode, and current generated from background light. The current also contains the useful harmonic signal with a beat frequency corresponding to the range and radial velocity of a target. To avoid saturation and clipping due to the dc current generated in the photodiode, it is desirable to minimize the gain at dc while maintaining a high gain in the beat frequency region. We have investigated some different solutions and present a modified current-to-voltage converter using bootstrapping and added voltage gain, which addresses this problem using only one OP-amp and no dc shorting inductors.

Improved Uncertainty of Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry Based Length Measurement by Linearizing the Frequency Chirping of a Laser Diode

Length resolution of optical-frequency-domain-reflectometry (OFDR) is improved by reducing the chirping fluctuation of a laser diode. The fluctuation is detected as the frequency deviation of a beat signal from a reference interferometer, which is used as the control signal for servo-control of the laser diode (LD) drive current. As a result of the effective chirping stabilization, chirping span limited-resolution is achieved. In addition, use of a block gauge as the path difference of the reference interferometer enables the OFDR system to improve accuracy of the length as well as the resolution.

Optical frequency-domain reflectometry based on wavelength-swept mode-locked fiber laser

We demonstrate a novel optical frequency-domain reflectometry system with compactness and short measurement time based on the use of a wavelength-swept mode-locked fiber laser. The optical source uses an intracavity tunable Fabry-Perot filter as a tuning element. The fiber laser sweeps 20 nm in less than 10 ms. Spatial resolution of 100 μm and total measurement range of several centimeters are demonstrated.

Fault location in optical fibers using optical frequency domain reflectometry

This paper describes the experimental and analytical investigations performed on another backscattering technique named Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR). In this approach the temporal signatures of graded-index multimode fibers are obtained as the inverse Fourier transform of the OFDR data. In the employed OFDR system the entire process is automated, and the modulation frequency is changed stepwise to obtain an exact inverse Fourier transform. The effects of starting frequency, frequency increment, and highest modulation frequency on OFDR temporal response are considered. The experimental results are in good agreement with those obtained by computer simulations. Also, a synchronous detection type of filtering process is suggested for signal-to-noise ratio improvement in OFDR technique.

Optical-fiber diagnosis using optical-frequency-domain reflectometry

Temporal signatures (reflection impulse responses) of optical fibers are obtained as the inverse Fourier transforms of the optical-frequency-domain reflectometry (OFDR) data. In this OFDR system, the entire process is automated. The modulation frequency is changed stepwise to obtain an exact inverse Fourier transform. The experimental results are in good agreement with those obtained by computer simulations.