Millimeter-resolution optical time-domain reflectometry using a four-wave mixing sampling gate

Author

Schlager, J.B. ; Jinno, M. ; Franzen, D.L.

Author_Institution

Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Boulder, CO, USA

Volume

7

Issue

2

fYear

1995

Firstpage

206

Lastpage

208

Abstract

We report an optical time-domain reflectometer that employs an ultrafast optical switch based on nondegenerate four-wave mixing in a semiconductor laser amplifier. Two-point spatial resolution on the order of 1 mm over 2 m is demonstrated; Fresnel reflections with optical return losses greater than 53 dB are detected. Submillimeter-resolution optical time-domain reflectometry over a 100-m range should be possible with modifications to the pulse sources.<>

Keywords

high-speed optical techniques; multiwave mixing; optical losses; optical resolving power; optical switches; optical time-domain reflectometry; 1 mm; 100 m; 2 m; 53 dB; Fresnel reflections; four-wave mixing sampling gate; millimeter-resolution; nondegenerate four-wave mixing; optical return losses; optical time-domain reflectometer; pulse sources; semiconductor laser amplifier; submillimeter-resolution; two-point spatial resolution; ultrafast optical switch; Four-wave mixing; Nonlinear optics; Optical mixing; Optical switches; Pulse amplifiers; Reflectometry; Semiconductor optical amplifiers; Stimulated emission; Time domain analysis; Ultrafast optics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1041-1135

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/68.345924

Filename

345924