Microwave-Photonic Sensor for Remote Water-Level Monitoring Based on Chaotic Laser

Abstract

A microwave-photonic sensor for remote water-level monitoring based on chaotic laser is proposed and demonstrated. The probe chaotic signal with bandwidth of 18 GHz is generated in the central office and then transmitted at the remote antenna unit after a 24 km single-mode fiber transmission. And the monitoring data from the remote antenna unit is sent back to the central office over fiber. The water-level measuring is accomplished by cross-correlation between reference signal and probe signal at the central office. So the remote water-level monitoring system with a high spatial resolution of 2 cm is achieved and the height of water surface can be displayed in real time.