Vibration-induced PM noise measurements of a rigid optical fiber spool

Published

May 19, 2008

Author(s)

Jennifer A. Taylor, Craig W. Nelson, Archita Hati, Neil Ashby, David A. Howe

Abstract

The opto-electronic oscillator (OEO) has emerged in recent years as an excellent low-noise source that rivals the best RF oscillators over broad offset frequencies. The main sources of noise in an OEO are the laser and RF modulator, photo detector, loop amplifier, and the long fiber that is needed for high Q. Recent studies have shown that even by using state-of-the-art components and a low-loss long fiber, the PM noise of these OEOs fail to meet the theoretical value at offset frequencies close to carrier, from a few hertz to 1 kHz. The main cause for this shortfall is vibration effects on the optical fiber. External, environmental vibration causes mechanical distortions in the fiber that induce time-delay (phase) fluctuations. The spool onto which the fiber is wound is primarily responsible for imparting these vibration-induced delay fluctuations to the fiber and thus diminishing the performance of the OEO. In this paper, we compare the vibration-induced phase fluctuations of a 3 km optical fiber wound on spools made of four materials metal, ceramic, plastic, and foam-covered plastic. We investigate fiber-on-spool winding and mounting techniques that reduce vibration susceptibility. We present residual PM measurements that compare the vibration sensitivity of an optical fiber wound on these different materials.

Proceedings Title

Proc. 2008 IEEE Freq. Cont. Symp.

Conference Dates

May 19-21, 2008

Conference Location

Honolulu, HI

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

PM noise, optical fiber, vibration sensitivity, environmental effects

Citation

Taylor, J. , Nelson, C. , Hati, A. , Ashby, N. and Howe, D. (2008), Vibration-induced PM noise measurements of a rigid optical fiber spool, Proc. 2008 IEEE Freq. Cont. Symp., Honolulu, HI, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=842509 (Accessed March 14, 2025)