Analysis of optical pulse coding in spontaneous Brillouin-based distributed temperature sensors

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Fiber Optic Sensing
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Distributed optical fiber sensors offer remote temperature monitoring capabilities.
• Spontaneous Brillouin scattering is a key phenomenon utilized in these sensors.
• Optical pulse coding techniques can potentially enhance sensor performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically and experimentally analyze optical pulse coding for distributed fiber optic temperature sensors.
• To quantify the impact of Simplex coding on stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering thresholds.
• To characterize the signal-to-noise ratio enhancement and temperature resolution improvements.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of optical pulse coding techniques.
• Experimental investigation of Simplex coding in Brillouin scattering-based sensors.
• Measurement of stimulated Brillouin and Raman power thresholds.
• Characterization of signal-to-noise ratio and temperature resolution.

Main Results:

• Pulse coding, specifically Simplex coding, impacts stimulated Brillouin scattering thresholds.
• Optimal input power levels are reduced due to pulse coding effects.
• Significant signal-to-noise ratio enhancement and temperature resolution improvement were observed.
• Experimental results align with theoretical predictions regarding coding impact.

Conclusions:

• Optical pulse coding is effective in improving distributed fiber optic temperature sensing performance.
• Simplex coding allows for high sensing performance by optimizing power thresholds and avoiding high peak power pulses.
• The findings enable more efficient and robust fiber optic temperature sensing systems.