Optical vector analysis based on double-sideband modulation and stimulated Brillouin scattering.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Spectroscopy
• Materials Science

Background:

• Conventional optical vector analysis (OVA) using single-sideband modulation faces limitations in measurement range and accuracy due to component bandwidth and high-order sidebands.
• Accurate characterization of optical components is crucial for advanced photonic systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-resolution and high-accuracy optical vector analysis (OVA) technique.
• To overcome the limitations of conventional OVA methods, particularly in measurement range and accuracy.

Main Methods:

• The proposed technique employs optical double-sideband modulation and stimulated Brillouin scattering.
• It utilizes both +1st and -1st order sidebands for magnitude and phase response measurement, avoiding spectrum response aliasing.
• This approach leverages predictable and removable high-order sideband-induced errors.

Main Results:

• The measurement range is effectively doubled compared to single-sideband methods.
• High-order sideband-induced errors are identified as occurring at specific, removable frequencies.
• A proof-of-concept experiment successfully measured the transmission response of a fiber Bragg grating over an 80 GHz range with sub-667 kHz resolution using 40 GHz microwave components.

Conclusions:

• The developed optical double-sideband modulation-based OVA offers significantly improved measurement range and accuracy.
• This technique provides a robust method for precise characterization of optical devices like fiber Bragg gratings.
• The findings pave the way for more advanced optical sensing and communication systems.