Patent · US Expired

Active multipoint fiber laser sensor

US5513913A · kind A · utility

119Cited by
16References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 28, 1993
Grant dateMay 7, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 28, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/0675
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A remote active multipoint fiber laser sensor includes a plurality of fiber lasers 12,14,16, each having a pair of Bragg gratings 18,20, embedded in a fiber 10 and excited by a common pump light 30. The lasers 12,14,16 lase at different longitudinal modes (lasing wavelengths) and emit light 32,34,36, at their respective wavelengths .lambda.1,.lambda.2,.lambda.n. The lasing wavelength of each laser shifts due to perturbations, such as strain or temperature, applied thereto. The output light 32,34,36 is fed to a spectrum analyzer 50 where the wavelength shift is analyzed. A signal processor 54 reads the wavelength shift and provides a signal on lines 56 indicative of the perturbation at each of the lasers/sensors 12-16. Alternatively, a single laser may be used as a single sensor. Alternatively, birefringent fiber may be used as the fiber cavities 21 and the two polarizations are beat together to form a lower difference or "beat" frequency, thereby allowing lower frequency detection devices to be used.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.