Distributed strain and temperature discrimination in polarization maintaining fiber

1. A method for analyzing a portion of a polarization maintaining (PM) optical fiber having two polarization states, comprising:

determining a first spectral response of the PM fiber portion, where each polarization state of the PM fiber portion has a corresponding spectral component in the first spectral response;

determining a second spectral response of the PM fiber portion, where each polarization state of the PM fiber portion has a corresponding spectral component in the second spectral response;

performing a first spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion using the first and second spectral responses;

performing a second spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion using the first and second spectral responses;

based on the first and second spectral analyses of the PM fiber portion, determining a first physical characteristic affecting the PM fiber portion distinct from a second different physical characteristic affecting the fiber portion; and

providing an output signal related to the first physical characteristic affecting the fiber portion.

2. The method in claim 1 , wherein the spectral responses are determined using Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR).

3. The method in claim 2 , wherein the first and second physical characteristics are strain and temperature.

4. The method in claim 2 , wherein the first and second physical characteristics are distributed along the PM fiber and the PM fiber portion is located any where along the PM fiber.

5. The method in claim 2 , wherein the second spectral response is determined after a change in one or both of first and second physical characteristics affecting the fiber portion.

6. The method in claim 5 , wherein the scatter patterns are Rayleigh scatter patterns.

7. The method in claim 2 , wherein the first and second spectral responses are scatter patterns of the PM fiber portion.

8. The method in claim 2 , wherein the first spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion includes calculating an autocorrelation of the first spectral response and an autocorrelation of the second spectral response, and

wherein the second spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion includes calculating a cross-correlation of the first spectral response and the second spectral response.

9. The method in claim 8 , further comprising:

determining a first autocorrelation peak offset between a central autocorrelation peak and a side autocorrelation peak of the calculated autocorrelation of the first spectral response;

determining a second autocorrelation peak offset between a central autocorrelation peak and a side autocorrelation peak of the calculated autocorrelation of the second spectral response;

calculating a difference between the first and second autocorrelation peak offsets.

10. The method in claim 9 , further comprising:

constructing two linear equations to calculate the first physical characteristic and the second physical characteristic using a matrix of proportionality constants and a vector including the difference between the first and second autocorrelation peak offsets and the cross-correlation of the first spectral response and the second spectral response.

11. The method in claim 10 , wherein the proportionality constants are determined in accordance with the following:

subjecting the PM fiber portion to a known value of the first physical characteristic with a constant value of the second physical characteristic;

determining a spectral shift to generate a first proportionality constant;

determining an autocorrelation shift to generate a second proportionality constant;

subjecting the PM fiber portion to a known value of the second physical characteristic with a constant value of the first physical characteristic;

determining a spectral shift to generate a third proportionality constant; and

determining an autocorrelation shift to generate a fourth proportionality constant.

12. The method in claim 1 , further comprising: based on the first and second spectral analyses of the PM fiber portion, determining the second physical characteristic affecting the PM fiber portion and providing an output signal related to the second physical characteristic affecting the fiber portion.

13. A method for analyzing a portion of a polarization maintaining (PM) optical fiber having two polarization states, comprising:

determining first scatter data of the portion of the PM fiber for first values of temperature and strain;

determining second scatter data of the portion of the PM fiber for second values of temperature and strain, where at least one of the temperature values or the strain values is different between the first and second sets;

using the first and second scatter data to discriminate between strain and temperature at the portion of the PM fiber and to determine a change in strain or a change in temperature at the portion of the PM fiber; and

providing a signal based on the determination of the change in strain or the change in temperature at the portion of the PM fiber.

14. The method in claim 13 , further comprising:

using Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) to obtain the scatter data.

15. The method in claim 14 , wherein the using step includes:

autocorrelating the first and second scatter data;

cross-correlating the first and second scatter data; and

using results from the autocorrelating and the cross-correlating to discriminate between strain and temperature at the portion of the PM fiber and to determine a change in strain or a change in temperature at the portion of the PM fiber.

16. The method in claim 14 , wherein the strain and temperature vary at different locations along the PM fiber and the PM fiber portion is located any where along the PM fiber.

17. The method in claim 14 , wherein the scatter patterns are Rayleigh scatter patterns.

18. Apparatus for analyzing a portion of a polarization maintaining (PM) optical fiber having two polarization states, comprising:

optical processing circuitry configured to optically scan a portion of the PM optical fiber over a range of wavelengths to acquire a first light intensity signal and to later optically scan the PM optical fiber to acquire a second light intensity signal; and

data processing circuitry configured to:

determine a first spectral response of the PM fiber portion based on the first light intensity signal, where each polarization state of the PM fiber portion has a corresponding spectral component in the first spectral response;

determine a second spectral response of the PM fiber portion based on the second light intensity signal, where each polarization state of the PM fiber portion has a corresponding spectral component in the second spectral response;

perform a first spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion using the first and second spectral responses;

perform a second spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion using the first and second spectral responses;

based on the first and second spectral analyses of the PM fiber portion, determine a first physical characteristic affecting the PM fiber portion distinct from a second different physical characteristic affecting the fiber portion; and

provide an output signal related to the first physical characteristic affecting the fiber portion.

19. The apparatus in claim 18 , wherein the optical processing circuitry is configured to use Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR).

20. The apparatus in claim 19 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured, based on the first and second spectral analyses of the PM fiber portion, to determine the second physical characteristic affecting the PM fiber portion and providing an output signal related to the second physical characteristic affecting the fiber portion.

21. The apparatus in claim 19 , wherein the first and second physical characteristics are strain and temperature.

22. The apparatus in claim 19 , wherein the first and second physical characteristics are distributed along the PM fiber and the PM fiber portion is located any where along the PM fiber.

23. The apparatus in claim 19 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to determine the second spectral response after a change in one or both of first and second physical characteristics affecting the fiber portion.

24. The apparatus in claim 19 , wherein the first and second spectral responses are scatter patterns of the PM fiber portion.

25. The apparatus in claim 24 , wherein the scatter patterns are Rayleigh scatter patterns.

26. The apparatus in claim 19 , wherein the first spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion includes a calculation of an autocorrelation of the first spectral response and an autocorrelation of the second spectral response, and

wherein the second spectral analysis of the PM fiber portion includes a calculation a cross-correlation of the first spectral response and the second spectral response.

27. The apparatus in claim 26 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to:

determine a first autocorrelation peak offset between a central autocorrelation peak and a side autocorrelation peak of the calculated autocorrelation of the first spectral response;

determine a second autocorrelation peak offset between a central autocorrelation peak and a side autocorrelation peak of the calculated autocorrelation of the second spectral response;

calculate a difference between the first and second autocorrelation peak offsets.

28. The apparatus in claim 27 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to:

construct two linear equations to calculate the first physical characteristic and the second physical characteristic using a matrix of proportionality constants and a vector including the difference between the first and second autocorrelation peak offsets and the cross-correlation of the first spectral response and the second spectral response.

29. The apparatus in claim 28 , wherein the electronic circuitry is configured to determine the proportionality constants in accordance with the following:

subject the PM fiber portion to a known value of the first physical characteristic with a constant value of the second physical characteristic;

determine a spectral shift to generate a first proportionality constant;

determine an autocorrelation shift to generate a second proportionality constant;

subject the PM fiber portion to a known value of the second physical characteristic with a constant value of the first physical characteristic;

determine a spectral shift to generate a third proportionality constant; and

determine an autocorrelation shift to generate a fourth proportionality constant.

30. Apparatus for analyzing a portion of a polarization maintaining (PM) optical fiber having two polarization states, comprising:

Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) circuitry configured to determine first scatter data of the portion of the PM fiber for first values of temperature and strain and second scatter data of the PM fiber portion for second values of temperature and strain, where at least one of the temperature values or the strain values is different between the first and second sets; and

a data processor configured to use the first and second scatter data to discriminate between strain and temperature at the portion of the PM fiber and to determine a change in strain or a change in temperature at the portion of the PM fiber; and

provide a signal based on the determination of the change in strain or the change in temperature at the portion of the PM fiber.

31. The apparatus in claim 30 , wherein the data processor is configured to: use Optical Frequency Domain Reflectrometry (OFDR) to obtain the scatter data.

32. The apparatus in claim 31 , wherein the data processor is configured to:

autocorrelate the first and second scatter data;

cross-correlate the first and second scatter data; and

use results from the autocorrelating and the cross-correlating to discriminate between strain and temperature at the portion of the PM fiber and to determine a change in strain or a change in temperature at the portion of the PM fiber.

33. The apparatus in claim 31 , wherein the strain and temperature vary at different locations along the PM fiber and the PM fiber portion is located any where along the PM fiber.

34. The apparatus in claim 31 , wherein the scatter data are Rayleigh scatter patterns.