Interrogation of wavelength multiplexed fiber Bragg gratings using spectral filtering and amplitude-to-phase optical conversion

A technique for interrogating multiplexed FBG sensors using all-fiber low-cost devices is demonstrated. It is based on spectral filtering employing a fused biconical wavelengthdivision multiplexer and on amplitude-to-phase optical conversion to perform power referencing. Four FBG sensors are wavelength multiplexed in the network, and a 3-nmwide tunable optical filter is employed at the detection block for sensor demultiplexing. With this technique an operation range of more than 2 nm is demonstrated for the sensors with achievable wavelength static resolution ranging from 1.9 to 13.4 pm/Hz/sup 1/2/ with no observable hysteresis. As for power referencing, the system is proven to be unaffected by power variations as high as 75% of the total power launched by the source. Finally, output-phase variations due to crosstalk are shown to be under 1% of the total output phase range, with more than 29-dB optical isolation between channels.