A frequency-sweep-free method for distributed Brillouin sensing is proposed, having the potential for fast dynamic strain measurements. In this reported implementation of the method, multiple probe waves with carefully chosen optical frequencies simultaneously propagate in the fiber against an equal number of sequentially-launched, short pump pulses of matching frequencies, where each of pump-probe pair replaces one sweeping step in the classical BOTDA technique. Experimentally, distributed sensing is demonstrated with a spatial resolution of a few meters.

© 2011 OSA

1. R. W. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics (Academic Press, 2008), Chap. 9.
2. M. Barnoski and S. Personick, “Measurements in Fiber Optics,” Proc. IEEE 66(4), 429–441 (1978). [CrossRef]
3. S. Diaz, S. Foaleng, M. Mafang, Lopez-Amo, and L. Thevenaz, “A high performance Optical Time-Domain Brillouin Distributed Fiber Sensor,” IEEE Sens. J. 8(7), 1268–1272 (2008). [CrossRef]
4. R. Bernini, A. Minardo, and L. Zeni, “Dynamic strain measurement in optical fibers by stimulated Brillouin scattering,” Opt. Lett. 34(17), 2613–2615 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. Y. Peled, A. Motil, and M. Tur, “Distributed and dynamical Brillouin sensing in optical fibers”, Optical Fiber Sensor conference, OFS21, Ottawa, Canada, (2011).
6. P. Chaube, B. G. Colpitts, D. Jagannathan, and A. W. Brown, “Distributed fiber-optic sensor for dynamic strain measurement,” IEEE Sens. J. 8(7), 1067–1072 (2008). [CrossRef]
7. A. Voskoboinik, J. Wang, B. Shamee, S. Nuccio, L. Zhang, M. Chitgarha, A. Willner, and M. Tur, “SBS-based fiber optical sensing using frequency-domain simultaneous tone interrogation,” J. Lightwave Technol. 29(11), 1729–1735 (2011). [CrossRef]
8. A. Voskoboinik, J. Wang, A. E. Willner, and M. Tur, “Frequency-domain simultaneous tone interrogation for faster, sweep-free Brillouin distributed sensing”, 21st Inter. Conference of Optical Fiber Sensors, Proc. Of SPIE, 7753 (2011)
9. A. Voskoboinik, O.F. Yilmaz, A.E. Willner and M. Tur, “Sweep-free distributed Brillouin sensing using multiple pump and probe tones”, ECOC, Geneva, Switzerland, September 2011.
10. S. Damzen, V. Vlad, V. Babin and A. Mocofanescu, Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Fundamentals and Applications (Institute of Physics Publishing, 2003), Chap. 1.
11. K. -D. Chung, G. -C. Yang, and W. C. Kwong, “Determination of FWM products in unequal-spaced-channel WDM lightwave systems,” J. Lightwave Technol. 18(12), 2113–2122 (2000). [CrossRef]

IEEE Sens. J.

• S. Diaz, S. Foaleng, M. Mafang, Lopez-Amo, and L. Thevenaz, “A high performance Optical Time-Domain Brillouin Distributed Fiber Sensor,” IEEE Sens. J. 8(7), 1268–1272 (2008). [CrossRef]
• P. Chaube, B. G. Colpitts, D. Jagannathan, and A. W. Brown, “Distributed fiber-optic sensor for dynamic strain measurement,” IEEE Sens. J. 8(7), 1067–1072 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• A. Voskoboinik, J. Wang, B. Shamee, S. Nuccio, L. Zhang, M. Chitgarha, A. Willner, and M. Tur, “SBS-based fiber optical sensing using frequency-domain simultaneous tone interrogation,” J. Lightwave Technol. 29(11), 1729–1735 (2011). [CrossRef]
• K. -D. Chung, G. -C. Yang, and W. C. Kwong, “Determination of FWM products in unequal-spaced-channel WDM lightwave systems,” J. Lightwave Technol. 18(12), 2113–2122 (2000). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• R. Bernini, A. Minardo, and L. Zeni, “Dynamic strain measurement in optical fibers by stimulated Brillouin scattering,” Opt. Lett. 34(17), 2613–2615 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. IEEE

• M. Barnoski and S. Personick, “Measurements in Fiber Optics,” Proc. IEEE 66(4), 429–441 (1978). [CrossRef]

Other

• R. W. Boyd, Nonlinear Optics (Academic Press, 2008), Chap. 9.
• Y. Peled, A. Motil, and M. Tur, “Distributed and dynamical Brillouin sensing in optical fibers”, Optical Fiber Sensor conference, OFS21, Ottawa, Canada, (2011).
• A. Voskoboinik, J. Wang, A. E. Willner, and M. Tur, “Frequency-domain simultaneous tone interrogation for faster, sweep-free Brillouin distributed sensing”, 21st Inter. Conference of Optical Fiber Sensors, Proc. Of SPIE, 7753 (2011)
• A. Voskoboinik, O.F. Yilmaz, A.E. Willner and M. Tur, “Sweep-free distributed Brillouin sensing using multiple pump and probe tones”, ECOC, Geneva, Switzerland, September 2011.
• S. Damzen, V. Vlad, V. Babin and A. Mocofanescu, Stimulated Brillouin Scattering, Fundamentals and Applications (Institute of Physics Publishing, 2003), Chap. 1.

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