Open AccessHybrid distributed Raman amplification combining random fiber laser based 2nd-order and low-noise LD based 1st-order pumping
Author(s) -
Xin-Hong Jia,
Yiheng Rao,
Cheng-Xu Yuan,
Jin Li,
Xiaodong Yan,
Zinan Wang,
Wei Li Zhang,
Yeyu Zhu,
Fei Peng
Publication year - 2013
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.21.024611
Subject(s) - raman amplification , relative intensity noise , optics , noise (video) , repeater (horology) , amplified spontaneous emission , materials science , fiber laser , optical fiber , laser , semiconductor laser theory , physics , optical amplifier , computer science , artificial intelligence , coupling (piping) , metallurgy , image (mathematics)
A configuration of hybrid distributed Raman amplification (H-DRA), that is formed by incorporating a random fiber laser (RFL) based 2nd-order pump and a low-noise laser-diode (LD) based 1st-order pump, is proposed in this paper. In comparison to conventional bi-directional 1st-order DRA, the effective noise figure (ENF) is found to be lower by amount of 0 to 4 dB due to the RFL-based 2nd-order pump, depending on the on-off gain, while the low-noise 1st-order Raman pump is used for compensating the worsened signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the vicinity towards the far end of the fiber and avoiding the potential nonlinear impact induced by excess injection of pump power and suppressing the pump-signal relative intensity noise (RIN) transfer. As a result, the gain distribution can be optimized along ultra-long fiber link, due to combination of the 2nd-order RFL and low-noise 1st-order pumping, making the transmission distance be extended significantly. We utilized such a configuration to achieve ultra-long-distance distributed sensing based on Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA). A repeater-less sensing distance record of up to 154.4 km with 5 m spatial resolution and ~ ± 1.4 °C temperature uncertainty is successfully demonstrated.