To date, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) has perhaps been the most popular fiber optic sensing method. Drawbacks of WDM exist, however, including the importance of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor locations, need for each sensor to have a unique wavelength, and limited number of sensors that can occupy any one data channel (~10). As a result, NASA has focused on OFDR, an alternative FBG interrogation technique based on laser interferometry.

Because OFDR-based fiber interrogation systems rely upon interferometry between sensors with respect to a unique reference length, the excitation source (laser) must lase at a single longitudinal mode (SLM). If the excitation source contains multiple modes, the resulting beat frequency becomes a super-position of the multiple frequencies caused by the modes. As a result, the sensor cannot be accurately defined in the Fourier domain.

For OFDR systems with high sensing ranges, a continuous wavelength tunable laser must be used to accommodate the resonant wavelength shift of the fiber sensors due to environmental changes. External cavity lasers (ECLs) have been used due to their narrow linewidth and ability to lase at a SLM with no mode-hopping between steps. However, the mechanical complexity associated with tuning, susceptibility to vibration and shock, and high price point leave much to be desired.

To overcome the limitations of OFDR-based FOSS systems resulting from non-ideal excitation sources, NASA has developed a narrow linewidth solid-state laser based on the Distributed Feedback (DFB) laser. NASA’s laser is continuously tuned by manipulating the laser cavity’s temperature via a thermal-electric cooler feedback system. This continuous wavelength tuning generates a clean clock signal within an auxiliary interferometer, while the laser simultaneously interrogates multiple FBGs to produce a clean sensing interferometer. A Fourier domain spectrograph is used to show the unique frequency (i.e., location) of each FBG.

While NASA’s excitation source provides several performance advantages over conventional lasers used in OFDR, it is also highly compact and one eighth the cost of the ECLs traditionally used as excitation sources in OFDR-based systems. The laser has no moving parts, which also substantially improves system reliability.

Originally developed to demonstrate a low-cost interrogator for liquid level sensing in oil tanks, NASA’s compact, temperature-tuned OFDR laser can be applied wherever OFDR-based fiber optic sensing is desirable. Additional applications may include temperature distribution sensing, strain sensing, pressure sensing, and more.

NASA is actively seeking licensees to commercialize this technology. Please contact NASA’s Licensing Concierge at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call at 202-358-7432 to initiate licensing discussions. For more information, visit here .