Noise management for optical time delay interferometry
AssigneeAdelos, Inc.
InventorsDan Alan Preston, Stephen Timothy Doll, James Alexander Philp, Trinitie Marie Vance
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Abstract
An integrated fiber interferometry interrogator for generating superimposed waves is disclosed. The system is optimized for efficiency and vibration attenuation. The system comprises an optical light source for generating a first signal, a first signal splitter which splits the first signal into a reference signal and an interrogation signal, optical modulators for modulating the signals, a fiber coupler connected to a fiber under test, an isolator, a circulator with a plurality of connections for directing the signals, a signal mixer for mixing the signals into superimposed waves, and photo diodes for receiving the superimposed waves.
Claims20
An integrated fiber optic interferometry interrogator system to generate superimposed waves, the system comprising:
- an optical light source, wherein the optical light source generates a first signal;
- a first signal splitter coupled to an output of the optical light source, wherein the first signal splitter splits the first signal into a reference signal and an interrogation signal;
- a first optical modulator to modulate the reference signal;
- a second optical modulator to modulate the interrogation signal;
- a fiber coupler connected to a fiber under test;
- a circulator comprising a plurality of connections, wherein
- a first connection of the plurality of connections receives the modulated interrogation signal,
- a second connection of the plurality of connections transmits the modulated interrogation signal through the optical coupler and receives from the optical coupler a modulated signal backscattered from the fiber under test, and
- a third connection of the plurality of connections that transmits through an isolator the modulated signal backscattered from the fiber under test;
- a signal mixer comprising a plurality of signal couplers configured to receive the modulated signal backscattered from the isolator connected to the fiber under test,
- receive the reference signal modulated by the first optical modulator,
- mix the two received signals into the superimposed waves, and
- transmit the superimposed waves into a plurality of photo diodes, wherein one or more of the photo diodes output an RF signal comprising the superimposed waves.
A method for generating superimposed waves with an integrated fiber optic interferometry interrogator system, the method comprising:
- generating a first signal;
- splitting the first signal into a reference signal and an interrogation signal;
- modulating the reference signal using a first optical modulator;
- modulating the interrogation signal using a second optical modulator;
- using a circulator comprising a plurality of connections operative to
- receive at a first connection the modulated interrogation signal,
- transmit from a second connection the modulated interrogation signal into a fiber under test,
- receive a modulated signal backscattered from the fiber under test, and
- transmit from a third connection the modulated signal backscattered from the fiber under test;
- using a signal mixer comprising a plurality of signal couplers to:
- receive the modulated signal backscattered from the fiber under test,
- receive the modulated reference signal from the first optical modulator,
- mix the two received signals into the superimposed waves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.