Method and system for non-contact optical-power measurement

A method for measuring optical power comprising:

• providing an optical fiber configured to propagate an optical signal, wherein the optical fiber includes a core and at least a first cladding layer, wherein a portion of the optical signal scatters out of the optical fiber along a length of the optical fiber to form scattered fiber light;
• detecting, at a first time period, the scattered fiber light along the length of the optical fiber and outputting a first detection signal based on the detected scattered fiber light;
• modulating a polarization of the scattered fiber light after the scattered fiber light has exited the optical fiber and before the detecting of the scattered fiber light;
• and
• polarization filtering the scattered fiber light after the modulating of the polarization of the scattered fiber light and before the detecting of the scattered fiber light.

An apparatus comprising:

• an optical fiber configured to propagate an optical signal, wherein the optical fiber includes a core and at least a first cladding layer, wherein a portion of the optical signal scatters out of the optical fiber along a length of the optical fiber to form scattered fiber light;
• means for detecting the scattered fiber light along the length of the optical fiber and outputting an image signal based on the imaged scattered fiber light;
• means for modulating a polarization of the scattered fiber light after the scattered fiber light has exited the optical fiber and before the scattered fiber light has reached the means for detecting;
• means for polarization filtering the scattered fiber light after the scattered fiber light reaches the means for modulating and before the scattered fiber light has reached the means for detecting;
• and
• means for determining a first power value of the optical signal based on the image signal.