Symmetric 3 x 3 coupler-based demodulator for fiber optic interferometric sensors

Abstract

A method for demodulation of fiber optic interferometric sensors that utilizes a 3 x 3 coupler is described. The passive demodulation scheme does not require carrier (phase) modulation. The demodulation scheme relies on the three outputs of a 3 x 3 coupler and uses all three of its phase modulated output signals to recreate the stimulus inducing the original optical phase modulation. The demodulator scale factor (volts/radian) is stable against fluctuations in both fringe visibility and average received power. Upon initial implementation of the scheme, a dynamic range of 116 dB was obtained (at 600 Hz in a 1 Hz bandwidth with maximum THD at 4%). The minimum detectable signal at 600 Hz was 220 μrad/√Hz and the maximum tolerable signal was 140 radians. Both the maximum tolerable signal and the minimum detectable signal (noise floor) was observed to increase with decreasing frequency. Thus, depending on the frequency, the demodulation scheme is capable of detecting phase signals less than a milliradian to in excess of kiloradians.