Open AccessFast and wide tuning range wavelength-swept fiber laser based on dispersion tuning and its application to dynamic FBG sensing
Author(s) -
Yuichi Nakazaki,
Shinji Yamashita
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.17.008310
Subject(s) - optics , fiber bragg grating , materials science , fiber laser , dispersion shifted fiber , laser , dispersion (optics) , distributed feedback laser , wavelength , tunable laser , polarization maintaining optical fiber , optoelectronics , zero dispersion wavelength , optical fiber , fiber optic sensor , physics
We report a wavelength-swept fiber laser with high speed and wide tuning range, and its application to fiber sensors. The laser is based on the dispersion tuning technique, which does not require any optical tunable filter in the laser cavity. By directly modulating the semiconductor amplifier and adjusting the dispersion in the cavity, a wide wavelength tuning range of 178.7 nm and a fast tuning rate of over 200 kHz are obtained. The wavelength-swept laser source is applied to a dynamic fiber Bragg grating sensing system. Dynamic measurement of a 150 Hz sinusoidal strain is demonstrated with a measuring speed as fast as 40 kHz.