A time- and wavelength-division multiplexing sensor network with ultra-weak fiber Bragg gratings

A time- and wavelength-division multiplexing sensor network based on ultra-weak fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) was proposed. The low insertion loss and the high multiplexing capability of the proposed sensor network were investigated through both theoretical analysis and experimental study. The demodulation system, which consists of two semiconductor optical amplifiers and one high-speed charge-coupled device module, was constructed to interrogate 2000 serial ultra-weak FBGs with peak reflectivity ranging from -47 dB to -51 dB and a spatial resolution of 2 m along an optical fiber. The distinct advantages of the proposed sensor network make it an excellent candidate for the large-scale sensing network.