Progressive ladder network topology combining interferometric and intensity fiber-optic-based sensors

Abstract

Progressive ladder topology is studied by consideration of its properties of power budget and coupler tailoring. Optimization criteria are addressed for lossless and real systems, and their basic characteristics are compared with other topologies. Numerical results are presented, and an experiment is described for the case in which the network supports interferometric and intensity (with referentiation) fiber-optic-based sensors.

Optical fiber sensors: a route from University of Kent to Portugal

“…One of them was the utilization of wavelength selective couplers in the research of transparent networks for hybrid wavelength multiplexing of fiber Bragg grating and intensity based fiber sensors, and more recently we demonstrated FBG-assisted wavelength multiplexing of self-referenced intensity sensors (Fig. 21) Here we give an example of a study addressing a topology with interesting characteristics for a fiber sensing transmissive network [36]. It is referred as the progressive ladder topology (PLT), which is illustrated in Fig.…”

“…optic sensor network topologies: (a) progressive ladder, (b) transmissive ladder, (c) power ratio of the couplers as a function of their locations in the array for the PLT and TLT topologies (N=10, for a real system operating at 1,300 nm), and (d) averaged returned optical power per sensor (normalized by the input power)[36].…”

Optical Fiber Sensor Technology in Portugal

“…Santos and Jackson [62] investigated the feasibility of time multiplexing of coherence addressed sensors using the spectral characteristics of multimode laser diodes. The study of topologies with particularly favorable characteristics to support time multiplexing of interferometric and intensity-based sensors was researched by Lobo Ribeiro et al [63]. Later, time multiplexing was also considered in the context of FBG sensors interrogated using the filter spectral characteristics of specific optical sources [64].…”

“…Lobo Ribeiro et al [63] studied a topology with interesting characteristics for a fiber-sensing transmissive network referred to as the progressive ladder topology (PLT), which is illustrated in Figure 12a. For purpose of comparison, Figure 12b depicts the well-known transmissive ladder topology (TLT), which is probably the one that has been more utilized in transmissive networks suporting interferometric and intensity sensors.…”

“…(a) Power ratio of the couplers as a function of their location in the array for the PLT and TLT topologies (N = 10, for a real system operating at 1300 nm); (b) averaged returned optical power per sensor (normalized by the input power) (from[63]). …”