System to perform radio frequency interferometry using optical fiber sensing signal processing techniques

US10036632B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Melanie Ott · Mill Valley, US
• William J. Thomes · The Villages, US
• Eleanya Eke Onuma · Greenbelt, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 21, 2016
• Grant date: Jul 31, 2018
• Expiry date: Nov 21, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01B2290/40
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system and method for performing radio frequency interferometry using optical fiber sensing. Optical fiber sensing is performed as a reference signal is defined and compared, in the optical domain, to incoming signals to obtain interference fringe patterns that can be used to decode phase shift offsets with respect to the designated reference signal. The phase shift offsets can be determined by first optically modulating the reference and incoming signals using a laser source as the carrier. In the optical domain, the reference and incoming signals are combined using an optical coupler and then converted back to the electrical domain for processing.