Interrogation of arrays of equally spaced weak reflectors in optical fibers
AssigneeTechnology Innovation Momentum Fund (Israel) Limited Partnership
InventorsAvishay Eyal, Nadav Arbel, Shaul Ozeri
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Abstract
A method includes generating a sequence of multiple optical pulses, for transmission into an optical fiber (12) having an array of multiple equally spaced reflectors (14) embedded therein, the sequence having a pulse duration and a pulse repetition interval (PRI) that guarantee that reflections of any of the optical pulses from any of the reflectors do not overlap. The sequence of optical pulses is transmitted into the optical fiber. The reflections of the optical pulses from the reflectors are extracted from the optical fiber. One or more events affecting the optical fiber are identified by analyzing the reflections.
Claims15
A method, comprising:
- generating a sequence of multiple optical pulses, for transmission into an optical fiber having an array of multiple equally spaced reflectors embedded therein, the sequence having a pulse duration and a pulse repetition interval (PRI) that guarantee that reflections of any of the optical pulses from any of the reflectors do not overlap;
- transmitting the sequence of optical pulses into the optical fiber;
- extracting, from the optical fiber, the reflections of the optical pulses from the reflectors;
- and
- identifying one or more events affecting the optical fiber by analyzing the reflections.
A system, comprising:
- an optical transmitter, configured to generate a sequence of multiple optical pulses, for transmission into an optical fiber having an array of multiple equally spaced reflectors embedded therein, the sequence having a pulse duration and a pulse repetition interval (PRI) that guarantee that reflections of any of the optical pulses from any of the reflectors do not overlap, and to transmit the sequence of optical pulses into the optical fiber;
- an optical receiver, configured to extract, from the optical fiber, the reflections of the optical pulses from the reflectors;
- and
- a processor, configured to identify one or more events affecting the optical fiber by analyzing the reflections.
An optical fiber, comprising:
- a first core configured to receive light at a given end of the optical fiber;
- a second core configured to output light at the same given end of the optical fiber;
- and
- an array of equally spaced optical reflectors, comprising one or more pairs of reflectors, each pair comprising:
- a first reflector embedded in the first core and configured to reflect light arriving from the given end, from the first core to the second core;
- and
- a second reflector embedded in the second core and configured to reflect the light arriving from the corresponding first reflector in the first core to propagate in the second core toward the same given end of the optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.