Method and apparatus for measuring the wavelength of spectrally narrow optical signals

Claim 1

A method for evaluating strain or temperature conditions of a material in field operational conditions, said method comprising: operatively associating a guidewave sensor having a Bragg grating as a sensing element with the material to be evaluated such that changes in the conditions of the material after the characteristics of the Bragg grating: producing a spectrally broad optical signal and directing said signal to said Bragg grating to thereby produce a spectrally narrow optical back-reflected signal from said Bragg grating indicative of the conditions of said material; dividing said spectrally narrow optical back-reflected signal into at least two signals; and optically processing said two signals by means of a known function of wavelength to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals uniquely particularized by the wavelength of the back-reflected signal and comparing the processed signals to determine the wavelength of the back-reflected signal from which the strain or temperature conditions of the material are evaluated, wherein the step of optically processing varies the intensity of at least one of the signals and said step of comparing the signals compares the ratio of the intensities of the two optical signals from which the wavelength is determined, and wherein said steps of dividing the optical signal and processing said optical signal are simultaneously carried out by means of a single coupler.

Claim 2

A method for evaluating strain or temperature conditions of a material in field operational conditions, said method comprising: operatively associating a guidewave sensor having a Bragg grating as a sensing element with the material to be evaluated such that changes in the conditions of the material after the characteristics of the Bragg grating: producing a spectrally broad optical signal and directing said signal to said Bragg grating to thereby produce a spectrally narrow optical back-reflected signal from said Bragg grating indicative of the conditions of said material; dividing said spectrally narrow optical back-reflected signal into at least two signals; and optically processing said two signals by means of a known function of wavelength to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals uniquely particularized by the wavelength of the back-reflected signal and comparing the processed signals to determine the wavelength of the back-reflected signal from which the strain or temperature conditions of the material are evaluated, wherein the step of optically processing varies the intensity of at least one of the signals and said step of comparing the signals compares the ratio of the intensities of the two optical signals from which the wavelength is determined, and wherein said steps of dividing the optical signal and processing said optical signal are simultaneously carried out by means of a single coupler.

Claim 3

An apparatus for determining the wavelength of a spectrally narrow optical signal from a guidedwave structure, comprising: means for dividing the optical signal into at least two signals; means for processing the optical signals to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals and determining therefrom the wavelength, including a 3×3 optical direction coupler for the purpose of splitting a portion of the back-reflected optical signal and forms said means for dividing the signal, and wherein said 3×3 optical coupler is highly over-coupled so that the coupling ratio is wavelength dependent, and wherein said coupler forms said means for processing.

Claim 4

An apparatus for determining the wavelength of a spectrally narrow optical signal from a guidedwave structure, comprising: means for dividing the optical signal into at least two signals; means for processing the optical signals to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals and determining therefrom the wavelength, including a 3×3 optical direction coupler for the purpose of splitting a portion of the back-reflected optical signal and forms said means for dividing the signal, and wherein said 3×3 optical coupler is highly over-coupled so that the coupling ratio is wavelength dependent, and wherein said coupler forms said means for processing.

Claim 5

An apparatus for evaluating strain or temperature conditions of a material under field conditions, said apparatus comprising: a guidedwave sensor having a Bragg grating as a sensing element operatively associated with the material to be evaluated such that changes in the conditions of the material alter the characteristics of the Bragg grating; means for producing a spectrally broad optical signal and directing said signal to said Bragg grating and thereby producing a spectrally narrow optical backreflected signal from said Bragg grating indicative of the conditions of said material; an arrangement for dividing said spectrally narrow optical back-reflected signal into at least two signals; and a processing arrangement which optically processes said two signals by means of a known function of wavelength to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals uniquely particularized by the wavelength of the back-reflected signal and comparing the processed signals to determine the wavelength of the back-reflected signal from which the strain or temperature conditions of the material are evaluated. wherein said means for processing determines the wavelength from the ratio of intensities of the two signals, and wherein said means for processing and said means for dividing are combined in a highly over-coupled direction coupler in which the coupling ratio varies with wavelength.

Claim 6

An apparatus for evaluating strain or temperature conditions of a material under field conditions, said apparatus comprising: a guidedwave sensor having a Bragg grating as a sensing element operatively associated with the material to be evaluated such that changes in the conditions of the material alter the characteristics of the Bragg grating; means for producing a spectrally broad optical signal and directing said signal to said Bragg grating and thereby producing a spectrally narrow optical backreflected signal from said Bragg grating indicative of the conditions of said material; an arrangement for dividing said spectrally narrow optical back-reflected signal into at least two signals; and a processing arrangement which optically processes said two signals by means of a known function of wavelength to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals uniquely particularized by the wavelength of the back-reflected signal and comparing the processed signals to determine the wavelength of the back-reflected signal from which the strain or temperature conditions of the material are evaluated. wherein said means for processing determines the wavelength from the ratio of intensities of the two signals, and wherein said means for processing and said means for dividing are combined in a highly over-coupled direction coupler in which the coupling ratio varies with wavelength.

Claim 11

A system for evaluating temperature or strain comprising a laser having a lasing cavity and being capable of producing a narrowband output logical lasing signal within a broad wavelength band, a Bragg grating as a combination cavity mirror of said lasing cavity and as a temperature or strain sensing element, a guidewave structure forming at least part of said lasing cavity of said laser terminated at one end of said guidedwave structure by said Bragg grating, said Bragg grating being formed as part of said guidedwave structure and only reflecting a spectrally narrow wavelength signal which wavelength is dependent upon the condition of the Bragg grating such that the lasing output signal is a spectrally narrow lasing signal from which the condition of the Bragg grating can be determined, and processing means which receives and evaluates the spectrally narrow lasing output signal by dividing the lasing signal into two signals and spectrally processing the signals to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals and evaluating the ratio of intensities of the two signals from which the temperature or strain of the body under investigation can be determined while automatically reducing the effect of variations in the intensity of the lasing output signal.

Claim 12

A system for evaluating temperature or strain comprising a laser having a lasing cavity and being capable of producing a narrowband output logical lasing signal within a broad wavelength band, a Bragg grating as a combination cavity mirror of said lasing cavity and as a temperature or strain sensing element, a guidewave structure forming at least part of said lasing cavity of said laser terminated at one end of said guidedwave structure by said Bragg grating, said Bragg grating being formed as part of said guidedwave structure and only reflecting a spectrally narrow wavelength signal which wavelength is dependent upon the condition of the Bragg grating such that the lasing output signal is a spectrally narrow lasing signal from which the condition of the Bragg grating can be determined, and processing means which receives and evaluates the spectrally narrow lasing output signal by dividing the lasing signal into two signals and spectrally processing the signals to produce a wavelength dependent change between the two signals and evaluating the ratio of intensities of the two signals from which the temperature or strain of the body under investigation can be determined while automatically reducing the effect of variations in the intensity of the lasing output signal.

Claim 18

A system for evaluating temperature or strain comprising a laser having a lasing cavity and being capable of producing a narrowband output optical lasing signal within a broad wavelength band, a Bragg grating as a combination cavity mirror of said lasing cavity and as a temperature or strain sensing element, a guidedwaves structure forming at least part of said lasing cavity of said laser terminated at one end of said guidedwave structure by said Bragg grating, said Bragg grating being formed as part of said guidedwave structure and only reflecting a spectrally narrow wavelength signal which wavelength is dependent upon the condition of the Bragg grating such that the lasing output signal is a spectrally narrow lasing signal from which the condition of the Bragg grating can be determined, and processing means which evaluates the spectrally narrow lasing output signal to determine the temperature or strain of the body under investigation.

Claim 19

A system for evaluating temperature or strain comprising a laser having a lasing cavity and being capable of producing a narrowband output optical lasing signal within a broad wavelength band, a Bragg grating as a combination cavity mirror of said lasing cavity and as a temperature or strain sensing element, a guidedwaves structure forming at least part of said lasing cavity of said laser terminated at one end of said guidedwave structure by said Bragg grating, said Bragg grating being formed as part of said guidedwave structure and only reflecting a spectrally narrow wavelength signal which wavelength is dependent upon the condition of the Bragg grating such that the lasing output signal is a spectrally narrow lasing signal from which the condition of the Bragg grating can be determined, and processing means which evaluates the spectrally narrow lasing output signal to determine the temperature or strain of the body under investigation.