Optical Fiber Measurement Device Using Electrical Switch Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
High spatial resolution in optical fiber characteristics measurement devices leads to decreased signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy due to high insertion loss and polarization dependency of existing optical switches, making it costly and complex to improve spatial resolution without compromising stability and reproducibility.
Innovation Solution
An optical fiber characteristics measurement device using a semiconductor laser, optical splitter, SSB optical modulator, pulse modulator, and a synchronous detection device with a high-speed electrical switch for timing adjustment, which separates and synchronously detects light signals to improve spatial resolution and reduce costs without degrading measurement accuracy or stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If an optical switch is used as a timing adjuster to improve spatial resolution, then spatial resolution is improved, but insertion loss increases and measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the optical switch (electro-optical system) with an electrical switch that operates in the electrical domain. This substitution eliminates the high insertion loss (3-5 dB) associated with optical switches while maintaining the timing adjustment function needed for high spatial resolution measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a timing adjuster that uses an electrical switch as an intermediary component between the light detector and the measurement system. This electrical switch intermediary separates the timing control function from the optical path, avoiding direct optical switching and its associated losses.
2Manufacturing precision
If an optical switch is used as a timing adjuster to improve spatial resolution, then spatial resolution is improved, but polarization dependency increases and measurement stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the polarization-dependent optical switch with a polarization-independent electrical switch. This substitution eliminates the polarization dependency that causes measurement instability while preserving the timing adjustment capability for high spatial resolution.
3Manufacturing precision
If an optical switch is used as a timing adjuster to improve spatial resolution, then spatial resolution is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive optical switch with a cost-effective electrical switch. This substitution significantly reduces device cost while maintaining the high spatial resolution performance through precise timing control.
4Measurement precision
If spatial resolution is increased to improve measurement precision, then measurement precision is improved, but signal-to-noise ratio decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the lossy optical switch with a low-loss electrical switch, minimizing insertion loss and preserving signal strength. This maintains a high signal-to-noise ratio even when achieving high spatial resolution through precise timing control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves improved spatial resolution and reduced costs by minimizing insertion loss and polarization dependency, maintaining high measurement accuracy and stability, and allowing measurements across a wide temperature range.
Implementation Method 1
a light source that emits laser light which is frequency-modulated with a modulation frequency
Implementation Method 2
pulsed light that is input from the other end of the optical fiber
Implementation Method 3
an optical fiber, receives scattered light or reflected light that occurs within the optical fiber
Implementation Method 4
the probe light is amplified by the stimulated Brillouin scattering only a positions of the correlation peaks
Implementation Method 5
a synchronous detection device that synchronously detects the detection signal by using a synchronization signal having a prescribed period
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Provided is an optical fiber characteristics measurement device that is provided with: a light source for emitting laser light modulated by a specified modulation frequency; an incident means for receiving the laser light from the light source as continuous light and pulse light from one end and the other end of an optical fiber, respectively; and a light detector for detecting light emitted from the optical fiber, the optical fiber characteristics measurement device measuring the characteristics of the optical fiber using the detection results of the light detector, wherein the optical fiber characteristics measurement device is characterized in being provided with a synchronous detector that extracts, from among the detection signals output from the light detector, detection signals obtained by detecting the light in the vicinity of a measurement point set in the optical fiber, and synchronously detects the extracted detection signals using a synchronization signal having a specified period.