Photon-Counting Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry Using a Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detector

Author

Hu, Junhui ; Zhao, Qingyuan ; Zhang, Xuping ; Zhang, Labao ; Zhao, Xiaodong ; Kang, Lin ; Wu, Peiheng

Volume

30

Issue

16

fYear

2012

Firstpage

2583

Lastpage

2588

Abstract

A novel photon-counting optical time-domain reflectometry (ν-OTDR) based on superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally. Benefiting from the low noise equivalent power (NEP), high repetition rate and low timing jitter of the SNSPD, our ν-OTDR system achieves a dynamic range of 22 dB after measurement time of 15 minutes. This obtainable dynamic range corresponds to a sensing length of 110 km. The system exhibits 6.0 cm spatial resolution at the end of 2 km and 1.1 m spatial resolution at the end of 26 km standard single-mode fiber. Considering the performance we obtained now and the increasing improvement of the fabrication technology, the SNSPD is promising in the field of fiber sensors.

Keywords

nanowires; optical fibre testing; optical time-domain reflectometry; photon counting; superconducting photodetectors; timing jitter; ν-OTDR system; SNSPD; distance 110 km; dynamic range; fabrication technology; fiber sensors; low noise equivalent power; low timing jitter; measurement time; noise figure 22 dB; photon-counting optical time-domain reflectometry; sensing length; spatial resolution; standard single-mode fiber; superconducting nanowire single-photon detector; time 15 min; Detectors; Dynamic range; Optical fiber sensors; Optical fibers; Photonics; Spatial resolution; Time measurement; Optical fiber sensors; optical time-domain reflectometry; photon counting; superconducting nanowire single-photon detector;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8724

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JLT.2012.2203786

Filename

6213468