Breaking limitations of fiber identification in traditional OFDR systems via compensation of initial optical frequency instability
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
11-1-2020
Abstract
As the security of optical fiber lines in data centers has attracted growing attention, it has become increasingly important to accurately characterize the fiber that is used. Optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) has been demonstrated as a means of identifying specific segments of optical fiber; however, OFDR measurements are limited in length due to initial optical frequency (IOF) variations. This Letter describes a detailed analysis of IOF and introduces a method to mitigate it in an OFDR system constructed using a semiconductor laser (SCL). Additionally, an algorithm is described that minimizes the calculating density necessary for OFDR-based optical fiber verification, reducing the calculating time required by an order of magnitude relative to prior techniques. Experiments demonstrate that the described method can be effectively applied to a range of application areas, ranging from centimeter to meter lengths of optical fiber, with an error equal rate (EER) of less than 1%.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Optics Letters
Volume
45
Issue
21
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Yao, Zheyi, Thomas Mauldin, Zhenyu Xu, Gerald Hefferman, and Tao Wei. "Breaking limitations of fiber identification in traditional OFDR systems via compensation of initial optical frequency instability." Optics Letters 45, 21 (2020): 6086-6089. doi: 10.1364/OL.403912.