High performance distributed feedback fiber laser sensor array system

Distributed feedback (DFB) fiber lasers have their unique properties useful for sensing applications. This paper presents a high performance distributed feedback (DFB) fiber laser sensor array system. Four key techniques have been adopted to set up the system, including DFB fiber laser design and fabrication, interferometric wavelength shift demodulation, digital phase generated carrier (PGC) technique and dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). Experimental results confirm that a high dynamic strain resolution of 305 fε/√Hz (@ 1 kHz) has been achieved by the proposed sensor array system. And the multiplexing of eight channel DFB fiber laser sensor array has been demonstrated. The proposed DFB fiber laser sensor array system is suitable for ultra-weak signal detection, and has potential applications in the field of petroleum seismic explorations, earthquake prediction, and security.