We report a novel method to enhance the performance of Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis system based on the intensity modulation of light source. The suppression and the modification of the background noise in Brillouin gain spectrum is experimentally demonstrated with different intensity modulation schemes. In an optimum configuration, the signal to noise ratio is improved more than 40%, which extends the measurable strain limit and leads to the substantial increase of measurement range.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

1. T. Horiguchi, T. Kurashima and M. Tateda, "A technique to measure distributed strain in optical fibers," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 2, 352-354 (1990). [CrossRef]
2. M. Nikles, L. Thevenaz, and P. Robert, "Simple distributed fiber sensor based on Brillouin gain spectrum analysis," Opt. Lett. 21, 758-760 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. X. Bao, M. DeMerchant, A. Brown and T. Bremner, "Tensile and compressive strain measurement in the lab and field with the distributed Brillouin scattering sensor," J. Lightwave Technol. 19, 1698-1704 (2001) [CrossRef]
4. M. N. Alahbabi, Y. T. Cho and T. P. Newson, "150-km-range distributed temperature sensor based on coherent detection of spontaneous Brillouin backscatter and in-line Raman amplification," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 22, 1321-1324 (2005). [CrossRef]
5. K. Hotate and T. Hasegawa, "Measurement of Brillouin gain spectrum distribution along an optical fiber using a correlation-based technique—proposal, experiment and simulation," IEICE Trans. Electron. E83-C, 405-412 (2000).
6. K. Hotate and M. Tanaka, "Distributed fiber Brillouin strain sensing with 1-cm spatial resolution by correlation-cased continuous-wave technique," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 14, 197-199 (2002). [CrossRef]
7. K. Hotate and S. S. L. Ong, "Distributed dynamic strain measurement using a correlation-based Brillouin sensing system," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 15, 272-274 (2003). [CrossRef]
8. K. Y. Song and K. Hotate, "Enlargement of measurement range in a Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis system using double lock-in amplifiers and a single-sideband modulator," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18, 499-501 (2006). [CrossRef]
9. K. Hotate and K. Abe, "BOCDA fiber optic distributed strain sensing system with a polarization diversity scheme for enlargement of measurement range," in Proceedings of 17th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS-17), M. Voet, R. Willsch, W. Ecke, J. Jones and B. Culshaw, eds., Proc. SPIE 5855, 591-594 (2005). [CrossRef]
10. Z. He and K. Hotate, "Distributed fiber-optic stress-location measurement by arbitrary shaping of optical coherence function," J. Lightwave Technol. 20, 1715-1723 (2002). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• T. Horiguchi, T. Kurashima and M. Tateda, "A technique to measure distributed strain in optical fibers," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 2, 352-354 (1990). [CrossRef]
• K. Hotate and M. Tanaka, "Distributed fiber Brillouin strain sensing with 1-cm spatial resolution by correlation-cased continuous-wave technique," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 14, 197-199 (2002). [CrossRef]
• K. Hotate and S. S. L. Ong, "Distributed dynamic strain measurement using a correlation-based Brillouin sensing system," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 15, 272-274 (2003). [CrossRef]
• K. Y. Song and K. Hotate, "Enlargement of measurement range in a Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis system using double lock-in amplifiers and a single-sideband modulator," IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 18, 499-501 (2006). [CrossRef]

IEICE Trans. Electron.

• K. Hotate and T. Hasegawa, "Measurement of Brillouin gain spectrum distribution along an optical fiber using a correlation-based technique—proposal, experiment and simulation," IEICE Trans. Electron. E83-C, 405-412 (2000).

J. Lightwave Technol.

• Z. He and K. Hotate, "Distributed fiber-optic stress-location measurement by arbitrary shaping of optical coherence function," J. Lightwave Technol. 20, 1715-1723 (2002). [CrossRef]
• X. Bao, M. DeMerchant, A. Brown and T. Bremner, "Tensile and compressive strain measurement in the lab and field with the distributed Brillouin scattering sensor," J. Lightwave Technol. 19, 1698-1704 (2001) [CrossRef]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• M. N. Alahbabi, Y. T. Cho and T. P. Newson, "150-km-range distributed temperature sensor based on coherent detection of spontaneous Brillouin backscatter and in-line Raman amplification," J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 22, 1321-1324 (2005). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• M. Nikles, L. Thevenaz, and P. Robert, "Simple distributed fiber sensor based on Brillouin gain spectrum analysis," Opt. Lett. 21, 758-760 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• K. Hotate and K. Abe, "BOCDA fiber optic distributed strain sensing system with a polarization diversity scheme for enlargement of measurement range," in Proceedings of 17th International Conference on Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS-17), M. Voet, R. Willsch, W. Ecke, J. Jones and B. Culshaw, eds., Proc. SPIE 5855, 591-594 (2005). [CrossRef]

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