Research on a high-precision calibration method for tunable lasers. (6th February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xiang, Na; Li, Zhengying; Gui, Xin; Wang, Fan; Hou, Yarong; Wang, Honghai
• Is Part Of: Measurement science & technology. Volume 29:Number 3(2018:Mar.)
• Publication Date: 2018-02-06
• Subjects: tunable laser -- comb filter -- nonlinearity compensation -- fiber Bragg grating demodulation; Physical measurements -- Periodicals; Scientific apparatus and instruments -- Periodicals; Equipment and Supplies -- Periodicals; Science -- instrumentation -- Periodicals; Technology -- instrumentation -- Periodicals; Mesures physiques -- Périodiques; Physical measurements; Scientific apparatus and instruments; Periodicals; 502.87
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6501/aaa2ef
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-0233

Abstract

Abstract: Tunable lasers are widely used in the field of optical fiber sensing, but nonlinear tuning exists even for zero external disturbance and limits the accuracy of the demodulation. In this paper, a high-precision calibration method for tunable lasers is proposed. A comb filter is introduced and the real-time output wavelength and scanning rate of the laser are calibrated by linear fitting several time-frequency reference points obtained from it, while the beat signal generated by the auxiliary interferometer is interpolated and frequency multiplied to find more accurate zero crossing points, with these points being used as wavelength counters to resample the comb signal to correct the nonlinear effect, which ensures that the time-frequency reference points of the comb filter are linear. A stability experiment and a strain sensing experiment verify the calibration precision of this method. The experimental result shows that the stability and wavelength resolution of the FBG demodulation can reach 0.088 pm and 0.030 pm, respectively, using a tunable laser calibrated by the proposed method. We have also compared the demodulation accuracy in the presence or absence of the comb filter, with the result showing that the introduction of the comb filter results to a 15-fold wavelength resolution enhancement.