Miniaturized High-Speed FBG Interrogator Based on a Photonic AWG Chip

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Conventional Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) interrogators are often bulky, hindering deployment in demanding field applications.
• Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWGs) are crucial components in FBG interrogation systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a miniaturized and robust FBG interrogator for real-time, high-precision FBG demodulation.
• To validate the interrogator's performance in extreme engineering conditions.

Main Methods:

• Development of an FBG interrogator integrating a compact photonic AWG chip (280 µm × 150 µm).
• System miniaturization achieved with the entire interrogator measuring 160 mm × 100 mm × 80 mm.
• Wavelength interrogation tests and engineering validation under high-temperature shocks.

Main Results:

• The interrogator achieved a wavelength accuracy of 9.87 pm.
• A high-speed sampling rate of up to 10 kHz was demonstrated for real-time FBG demodulation.
• Successful validation in a turbo-engine environment under extreme conditions.

Conclusions:

• The developed photonic AWG-based FBG interrogator offers significant miniaturization and high performance.
• The system's reliability in extreme environments demonstrates its potential for broad engineering applications.
• Enables high-precision, real-time FBG demodulation even with rapid temperature fluctuations.