Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing

Zhonghong Lin; Zhiyong Zhao; Huan He; Can Chen; Ming Tang; Marcelo A. Soto

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-02080-w

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Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing

Original Articles

- Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing
- Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing
- Light: Science & Applications 2026年15卷第1期页码：185-197
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Wuhan National Lab for Optoelectronics (WNLO), School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
  2.Department of Electronics Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
- Author bio：
  
  Zhiyong Zhao (zhiyongzhao@hust.edu.cn)
  Ming Tang (tangming@mail.hust.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-02080-w
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-05-01，
  
  修回：2025-09-18，
  
  录用：2025-10-02，
  
  网络出版：2026-01-01，
  
  纸质出版：2026-01-31
- Accepted：
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Zhonghong Lin, Zhiyong Zhao, Huan He, 等. Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(1):185-197.

Lin, Z. H. et al. Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 185-197 (2026).
Zhonghong Lin, Zhiyong Zhao, Huan He, 等. Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(1):185-197. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02080-w.

Lin, Z. H. et al. Frequency-comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry for distributed fiber-optic sensing. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 185-197 (2026). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02080-w.

摘要

Abstract

Distributed fiber-optic sensing has become an indispensable tool for large-scale structural and environmental monitoring

where spectral interrogation of backscattering light enables high-precision quantitative measurement of external perturbations. Conventional spectral analysis methods

typically based on frequency-domain serial interrogation or time-to-frequency mapping

face inherent trade-offs between measurement speed

dynamic strain measurement range

and system complexity. Here

we present a distributed frequency comb enabled spectrum-correlation reflectometry as a universal spectral analysis framework that leverages optical frequency comb for parallel multi-frequency interrogation

which is experimentally demonstrated in a phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (φ-OTDR) system. This method eliminates the need for large frequency scans

achieving more than tenfold improvement in measurement speed over the state-of-the-art spectral analysis methods. Compared to existing phase-demodulated φ-OTDR systems

this method enables vibration amplitude monitoring with a dynamic strain measurement range expanded by more than an order of magnitude

while intrinsically circumventing phase unwrapping issues and interference fading. This work establishes a new paradigm for distributed spectral analysis

providing a flexible and robust platform for a wide range of sensing technologies

including Rayleigh and Brillouin-based schemes

which may have significant impact for geophysics

seismology

civil engineering

and other fields.

关键词

Keywords

references

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