In this paper, the manipulation of light properties in the pure optical domain and its limits are briefly reviewed,
followed by the general descriptions of the advantages and the feasibility of altering the light properties by using
RF signals. The principles of manipulating light, including continuous wave (CW) light and pulsed light sources,
are introduced, respectively. Several research systems which have recently emerged for potential applications in
optical communication and optical sensing networks are discussed in order to demonstrate the understanding of
how light can be modified by RF signals.
Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors have numerous advantages to sense multi-physical quantities such as the
temperature and strain simultaneously by monitoring the shift of the returned “Bragg” wavelength resulting from
changes in these quantities. Several FBG interrogation systems have been set up using photo detectors instead of
an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA) to convert wavelength to time measurements. However, in those systems, it is
necessary to use mechanical tuning components to generate fast-speed wavelength-swept light sources for
high-precision FBG interrogation. In this paper, a low-cost and delicate wavelength-shift detection system, without
any mechanical scanning parts, is proposed and demonstrated. The wavelength scanning system is a recirculating
frequency shifter (RFS) which consists of an optical amplifier, an under test FBG sensor and an optical
single-sideband (SSB) modulator driven by RF signals at 10 GHz. The measurement accuracy of this system is
0.08nm.
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