Development of a frequency-tunable optical phase lock loop (OPLL) for high resolution fiber optic distributed sensing

Vladimir Kuperschmidt; Lew Stolpner; Peter Mols; Mazin Alalusi; Axel Mehnert; Radu Barsan; Farhad Ansari

doi:10.1117/12.880306

19 April 2011 Development of a frequency-tunable optical phase lock loop (OPLL) for high resolution fiber optic distributed sensing

Vladimir Kuperschmidt, Lew Stolpner, Peter Mols, Mazin Alalusi, Axel Mehnert, Radu Barsan, Farhad Ansari

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7983, Nondestructive Characterization for Composite Materials, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Infrastructure, and Homeland Security 2011; 79832D (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880306
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

We report on the development of a precision-tunable, dual wavelength, optical light source suitable for high performance fiber optic Brillouin scattering distributed sensing. The design is based on an Optical Phase Locked Loop (OPLL) system using novel narrow linewidth, low frequency noise and high stability PLANEX external cavity semiconductor. The inherent wavelength stability of PLANEX lasers (typically an order of magnitude better that any DFB laser on the market) enable the OPLL to operate continuously over a wide ambient temperature range without degradation in wavelength locking performance. The OPLL architecture is implemented with polarization maintaining (PM) components and has a very low beat frequency jitter on the order of few kHz. The OPLL frequency tuning range is between 8 and 14 GHz, with fast tuning of sweep steps on the order of 100 μsec. Such a frequency tuning range covers practically all corresponding temperature and strain sensing applications based on the measurement of the frequency shift produced by spontaneous or stimulated Brillouin scattering, and thus is a versatile and enabling technology for both BOTDA/BOTDR distributed sensing systems.

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Vladimir Kuperschmidt, Lew Stolpner, Peter Mols, Mazin Alalusi, Axel Mehnert, Radu Barsan, and Farhad Ansari "Development of a frequency-tunable optical phase lock loop (OPLL) for high resolution fiber optic distributed sensing", Proc. SPIE 7983, Nondestructive Characterization for Composite Materials, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Infrastructure, and Homeland Security 2011, 79832D (19 April 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.880306

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