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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
Wideband Optical Detector of Ultrasound for Medical Imaging Applications
Published on: May 11, 2014
Ultrasensitive, high-dynamic-range and broadband strain sensing by time-of-flight detection with femtosecond-laser
Xing Lu1, Shuangyou Zhang2, Xing Chen3
1State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Abstract:
Ultrahigh-resolution optical strain sensors provide powerful tools in various scientific and engineering fields, ranging from long-baseline interferometers to civil and aerospace industries. Here we demonstrate an ultrahigh-resolution fibre strain sensing method by directly detecting the time-of-flight (TOF) change of the optical pulse train generated from a free-running passively mode-locked laser (MLL) frequency comb. We achieved a local strain resolution of 18 pε/Hz1/2 and 1.9 pε/Hz1/2 at 1 Hz and 3 kHz, respectively, with large dynamic range of >154 dB at 3 kHz. For remote-point sensing at 1-km distance, 80 pε/Hz1/2 (at 1 Hz) and 2.2 pε/Hz1/2 (at 3 kHz) resolution is demonstrated. While attaining both ultrahigh resolution and large dynamic range, the demonstrated method can be readily extended for multiple-point sensing as well by taking advantage of the broad optical comb spectra. These advantages may allow various applications of this sensor in geophysical science, structural health monitoring, and underwater science.
