The measurement range of sensors based on optical resonators is often limited by the cavity linewidth. The usual Pound–Drever–Hall current feedback can extend the sensor’s measurement range to the tuning range of the laser. However, this method is still insufficient for sensors with high dynamic range requirements. We present an optical frequency shift detection technique that combines temperature and current tuning, which expands the dynamic range of sensors based on optical resonators. When the optical frequency shift in the optical resonators is beyond the current feedback measurement range, temperature feedback is used to alter the wavelength of the laser. As a result, the resonance curve of the resonators is adjusted to fit the current tuning measurement range. The method has high accuracy for current feedback and a large measurement range for temperature feedback. Experimental results show that the method has a range of measurement of 8.14 GHz, 14 times higher than the traditional current feedback method, with a measurement accuracy of 38 kHz and a dynamic range of 106 dB. |
ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
No SPIE Account? Create one