A Study of Mechanical Vibration Signal Transmission Using Position Modulated Optical Pulses

A novel vibration sensing scheme using a technique of converting the vibration into position modulated optical pulses is described. The laser light whose wavelength changes at a cycle of several kHz is launched into a fiber and passes through an optical filter whose center wavelength is changed in proportion to the mechanical vibration with frequency lower than kHz. The output signal from the filter becomes time position modulated optical pulses because the laser light passes only when the both wavelengths coincide. The basic operation of the scheme is experimentally confirmed using a 5-km transmission line.