Sub-MHz ultrahigh-resolution optical spectrometry based on Brillouin dynamic gratings

We propose and demonstrate an ultrahigh-resolution optical spectrometry based on Brillouin dynamic gratings (BDGs). Taking advantage of creating a long grating in an optical fiber, an ultra-narrow bandwidth optical filter is realized by operating a BDG in a long single-mode fiber (SMF), and the optical spectrometry is performed by sweeping the center wavelength of the BDG-based filter through a swept-tuned laser. The BDG-based optical spectrometry features ultrahigh resolution, large wavelength coverage, and a simple direction-detection scheme. In the experiment, a 4 fm (0.5 MHz) spectral resolution is achieved by operating a BDG in a 400 m SMF, and the wavelength coverage can be readily extended to C+L bands with a commercial tunable laser.