High-Resolution Temperature Sensor Based on Single-Frequency Ring Fiber Laser via Optical Heterodyne Spectroscopy Technology

Abstract

We demonstrate a high-resolution temperature sensor based on optical heterodyne spectroscopy technology by virtue of the narrow linewidth characteristic of a single-frequency fiber laser. When the single-frequency ring fiber laser has a Lorentzian-linewidth <1 kHz and the temperature sensor operates in the range of 3−85 °C, an average sensitivity of 14.74 pm/°C is obtained by an optical spectrum analyzer. Furthermore, a resolution as high as ~5 × 10−3 °C is demonstrated through optical heterodyne spectroscopy technology by an electrical spectrum analyzer in the range of 18.26–18.71 °C with the figure of merit up to 3.1 × 105 in the experiment.