A Polarimetric Fiber Ring Laser Incorporating a Coupled Optoelectronic Oscillator and Its Application to Magnetic Field Sensing

Abstract

A novel configuration for a polarimetric fiber ring laser incorporating a coupled optoelectronic oscillator (COEO) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated, and its application to magnetic field sensing is studied. The COEO-based polarimetric fiber ring laser has two mutually coupled loops: the fiber ring laser loop and the OEO loop. In the fiber ring laser loop, longitudinal modes break up into orthogonal polarization modes because of birefringence. The frequency of the polarization mode beat (PMB) signals is determined by the cavity birefringence. In the OEO loop, a microwave signal with its frequency equal to the PMB signal is generated. By feeding the oscillation mode to modulate the optical loop, mode-locking can be achieved, rendering the mode spacing of the laser equal to the frequency of the oscillating OEO mode. We can estimate the birefringence variation by measuring the oscillating frequency of the COEO. To validate the proposed sensing system, a circular birefringence change is introduced in a magneto-optic crystal via the Faraday rotation effect. Then, the magnetic field sensing is implemented. Such configuration can achieve single longitudinal oscillation and realize high-speed and high-precision measurements.