High-sensitivity temperature sensing using higher-order Stokes stimulated Brillouin scattering in optical fiber

In an effort to reduce the cost of sensing systems and make them more compact and flexible, Brillouin scattering has been demonstrated as a useful tool, especially for distributed temperature and strain sensing (DTSS), with a resolution of a few centimeters over several tens of kilometers of fiber. However, sensing is limited by the Brillouin frequency shift's sensitivity to these parameters, which are of the order of similar to 1.3 MHz/degrees C and of similar to 0.05 MHz/mu epsilon for standard fiber. In this Letter, we demonstrate a new and simple technique for enhancing the sensitivity of sensing by using higher-orders Stokes shifts with stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). By this method, we multiply the sensitivity of the sensor by the number of the Stokes order used, enhanced by six-fold, therefore reaching a sensitivity of similar to 7 MHz/degrees C, and potentially similar to 0.30 MHz/mu epsilon. To do this, we place the test fiber within a cavity to produce a frequency comb. Based on a reference multiorder SBS source for heterodyning, this system should provide a new distributed sensing technology with significantly better resolution at a potentially lower cost than currently available DTSS systems. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America