Power equalization method of a DFB fiber laser sensor array

Abstract

To reduce the output power ununiformity mainly caused by the exponential attenuation of pump power in a distributed feedback fiber laser (DFB FL) sensor array, a power equalization method based on array structure optimization is proposed. By analyzing the influencing factors of the output power flatness of the array, an output power prediction model of a DFB FL wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) array is established, and the standard deviation coefficient of the output power is proposed as the main evaluating indicator for assessing the output power flatness. An array structure optimization scheme based on the simulated annealing algorithm is designed, and the optimized array structure of the 64-element DFB FL sensor array is achieved. The results show that the power fluctuation of the optimized array is significantly reduced from universal 5–10 dB to smaller than 2.6 dB, while the performance of the DFB FL sensor array is improved with better noise floor and increased multiplexing capacity, as well as improved array design efficiency.