Time division multiplexing of optical fibre sensors with sampled modulation of laser diode

Abstract A time division multiplexing technique is described in which the frequency of a laser source is modulated with a sampled ramp. The concept is demonstrated with two Mach-Zehnder interferometers in a parallel configuration, separated by a fibre delay line whose length is determined by the characteristics of the sampling waveform. Pseudo-heterodyne processing was used to recover the phase information from each interferometer. The expansion of the technique to a combined frequency and time division multiplexed fibre-optic sensing system is considered.