Narrow linewidth fiber laser for 100-km optical frequency domain reflectometry

Abstract

A diode-pumped single-frequency piezoelectrically tuned fiber laser with narrow spectral linewidth has been used as a light source in applications for long-range coherent frequency-domain reflectometry. Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) measurements of Rayleigh back-scattering and Fresnel reflection from a 95-km-long fiber have been demonstrated without the use of an optical amplifier. This is, to our knowledge, the longest distance measurement with FMCW. The high sensitivity and dynamic range of the long-range backscattering measurements benefit from the extremely long coherence length of the narrow linewidth fiber laser, which has been estimated to be 210 km in air.