Brillouin and rayleigh distributed sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073006-B2
Application number	US-201615130287-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2016
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

According to examples, a Brillouin and Rayleigh distributed sensor may include a first laser source to emit a first laser beam, and a second laser source to emit a second laser beam. A photodiode may acquire a beat frequency between the two laser beams. The beat frequency may be used to maintain a predetermined offset frequency shift between the two laser beams. A modulator may modulate the first laser beam. The modulated first laser beam is to be injected into a device under test (DUT). A coherent receiver may acquire a backscattered signal from the DUT. The backscattered signal results from the modulated first laser beam injected into the DUT. The coherent receiver may use the second laser beam as a local oscillator to determine Brillouin and Rayleigh traces with respect to the DUT based on the predetermined offset frequency shift.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Brillouin and Rayleigh distributed sensor comprising:
a first laser source to emit a first laser beam;
a second laser source to emit a second laser beam;
a photodiode to acquire a beat frequency between the first laser beam and the second laser beam, wherein the beat frequency is used to maintain a predetermined offset frequency shift between the first laser beam and the second laser beam, wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift is relative to a predetermined frequency of either the first laser beam or the second laser beam;
a modulator to modulate the first laser beam, wherein the modulated first laser beam is to be injected into a device under test (DUT);
a coherent receiver to acquire a backscattered signal from the DUT, wherein the backscattered signal results from the modulated first laser beam injected into the DUT, and wherein the coherent receiver is to use the second laser beam as a local oscillator to determine Brillouin and Rayleigh traces with respect to the DUT based on the predetermined offset frequency shift between the first laser beam and the second laser beam by further using
a first polarization beam splitter (PBS) of the coherent receiver to
receive the second laser beam, and
divide the second laser beam into two different polarization states including a first polar state and a second polar state, and

a second PBS of the coherent receiver to
receive the backscattered signal, and
divide the backscattered signal into two different polarization states including a first polar state and a second polar state that are the same as the first and second polar states of the second laser beam, wherein a divided portion of the backscattered signal corresponding to the first polar state is to be mixed with the second laser beam at the first polar state, and a divided portion of the backscattered signal corresponding to the second polar state is to be mixed with the second laser beam at the second polar state to determine the Brillouin and Rayleigh traces with respect to the DUT.

2. The Brillouin and Rayleigh distributed sensor of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift for determination of the Brillouin trace is approximately 10.8 GHz.

3. The Brillouin and Rayleigh distributed sensor of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift for determination of the Brillouin trace is selected from a range of approximately 10.0 GHz to approximately 13.0 GHz.

4. The Brillouin and Rayleigh distributed sensor of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift for determination of the Rayleigh trace is selected from a range of approximately 100.0 KHz to approximately 1.0 GHz.

5. The Brillouin and Rayleigh distributed sensor of claim 1 , wherein the DUT is an optical fiber.

6. A method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination, the method comprising:
maintaining a predetermined offset frequency shift between a first laser beam and a second laser beam, wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift is relative to a predetermined frequency of either the first laser beam or the second laser beam;
modulating the first laser beam, wherein the modulated first laser beam is to be injected into a device under test (DUT);
acquiring a backscattered signal from the DUT, wherein the backscattered signal results from the modulated first laser beam injected into the DUT, and wherein the second laser beam is to be used as a local oscillator;
determining, based on the acquired backscattered signal from the DUT, a Brillouin trace for the DUT;
repeating the acquisition of the backscattered signal from the DUT for a plurality of frequency shifts;
sampling, based on the repeated acquisitions corresponding to the plurality of frequency shifts and the acquisition of the backscattered signal from the DUT, a distributed Brillouin spectra;
determining, based on the sampling of the distributed Brillouin spectra, a resonant Brillouin frequency shift along the DUT;
scanning the first laser beam and the second laser beam over a wavelength range with a different predetermined offset frequency shift between the two laser beams;
further modulating the first laser beam associated with the different predetermined offset frequency shift, wherein the further modulated first laser beam is to be injected into the DUT;
further acquiring a further backscattered signal from the DUT, wherein the further backscattered signal is based on the further modulated first laser beam injected into the DUT, and wherein the second laser beam is to be used as the local oscillator; and
determining, based on the further acquired backscattered signal from the DUT, a Rayleigh trace for the DUT.

7. The method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination according to claim 6 , further comprising:
determining, based on the sampling of the distributed Brillouin spectra, integrated Brillouin power by performing an integration operation with respect to the resonant Brillouin frequency shift.

8. The method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination according to claim 7 , wherein the Rayleigh trace represents Rayleigh power versus time or a distance along the DUT, further comprising:
determining, based on the integrated Brillouin power, the Rayleigh power, and the resonant Brillouin frequency shift along the DUT, temperature and strain associated with the DUT.

9. The method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination according to claim 6 , wherein the DUT is an optical fiber.

10. The method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift for determination of the Brillouin trace is approximately 10.8 GHz.

11. The method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination according to claim 6 , wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift for determination of the Brillouin trace is selected from a range of approximately 10.0 GHz to approximately 13.0 GHz.

12. A method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination, the method comprising:
scanning a first laser beam and a second laser beam over a wavelength range with a predetermined offset frequency shift between the two laser beams, wherein the predetermined offset frequency shift is relative to a predetermined frequency of either the first laser beam or the second laser beam;
modulating the first laser beam, wherein the modulated first laser beam is to be injected into a device under test (DUT);
acquiring a backscattered signal from the DUT, wherein the backscattered signal results from the modulated first laser beam injected into the DUT, and wherein the second laser beam is to be used as a local oscillator;
determining, based on the acquired backscattered signal from the DUT, a Rayleigh trace for the DUT;
maintaining a different predetermined offset frequency shift between the first laser beam and the second laser beam;
further modulating the first laser beam associated with the different predetermined offset frequency shift, wherein the further modulated first laser beam is to be injected into the DUT;
further acquiring a further backscattered signal from the DUT, wherein the further backscattered signal is based on the further modulated first laser beam injected into the DUT, and wherein the second laser beam is to be used as the local oscillator;
determining, based on the further acquired backscattered signal from the DUT, a Brillouin trace for the DUT; and
determining, based on the Brillouin trace, Brillouin power associated with the DUT.

13. The method for Brillouin trace and Rayleigh trace determination according to claim 12 , furth

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Lecoeuche Vincent

Classifications

• G01D5/35358 Primary

  using backscattering to detect the measured quantity · CPC title

• G01D5/35364

  using inelastic backscattering to detect the measured quantity, e.g. using Brillouin or Raman backscattering · CPC title

• G01M11/3127

  using multiple or wavelength variable input source · CPC title

• G01M11/3172

  Reflectometers detecting the back-scattered light in the frequency-domain, e.g. OFDR, FMCW, heterodyne detection · CPC title

• G01D5/35361

  using elastic backscattering to detect the measured quantity, e.g. using Rayleigh backscattering · CPC title