Enterprise Ireland Project (2008-2011)

Commercialisation Fund Technology Development / Proof of Concept Phases

Application of multi-wavelength fibre Raman laser for remote and local sensing of fibre Bragg grating array

Fibre Bragg gratings and fibre Raman amplifiers have been identified as critical new technology platforms for deployment in both telecommunications and advanced sensing. The programme proposed herein addresses the scientific and technological development of remote and local sensing systems based on integration of fibre Bragg grating array and a wide bandwidth fibre Raman amplifier with tailored polarization properties into a multi-wavelength/tunable fibre Raman laser with increased the wavelength range up to 150 nm and sensing distance up to 100 km. To increase signal demodulation speed up to 10 KHz (for 50 nm range) and resolution up to 0.1 pm we are going to develop a periodic (comb) filter and to combine it with an updated version of an optical channel monitor. The programme results in development of a new technological platform based on technologies which were recently developed and proposed at Optics Research Group, Waterford Institute of Technology (ORG/WIT) and Femtosecond Group, Physics Department, University College Cork (FG/PD/UCC): spectrometer based optical channel monitor, technology of tailoring polarization properties of fiber Raman amplifier, special fibre Bragg gratings and a periodic (comb) filter. Development of the components mentioned with diverse specifications and their compatibility with the commercially manufactured components will maximize the potential for future Commercialisation by means of development the large number of sensing solution customized for different applications in aviation/airspace, offshore oil industries and in the monitoring of civil structures.