Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing

Acoustic sensing has many applications in engineering, one of which is fiber-optic hydrophones (FOHs). Conventional piezoelectric hydrophones face limitations related to size, electromagnetic interference, corrosion, and narrow operating bandwidth. Fiber-optic hydrophones, particularly those employi...

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Main Authors: Mehmet Ziya Keskin, Abdulkadir Yentur, Ibrahim Ozdur
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/9/2873
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author Mehmet Ziya Keskin
Abdulkadir Yentur
Ibrahim Ozdur
author_facet Mehmet Ziya Keskin
Abdulkadir Yentur
Ibrahim Ozdur
author_sort Mehmet Ziya Keskin
collection DOAJ
description Acoustic sensing has many applications in engineering, one of which is fiber-optic hydrophones (FOHs). Conventional piezoelectric hydrophones face limitations related to size, electromagnetic interference, corrosion, and narrow operating bandwidth. Fiber-optic hydrophones, particularly those employing distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, offer a compelling alternative due to their mechanical flexibility, resistance to harsh conditions, and broad detection range. DFB lasers are highly sensitive to external perturbations such as temperature and strain, enabling the precise detection of underwater acoustic signals by monitoring the resultant shifts in lasing wavelength. This paper presents an enhanced interrogation mechanism that leverages Mach–Zehnder interferometers to translate wavelength shifts into measurable phase deviations, thereby providing cost-effective and high-resolution phase-based measurements. A dual interferometric setup is integrated with a standard demodulation algorithm to extend the dynamic range of these sensing systems. The experimental results demonstrate a substantial improvement in performance, with the dynamic range increasing from 125 dB to 139 dB at 1 kHz without degrading the noise floor. This enhancement significantly expands the utility of FOH-based systems in underwater environments, supporting applications such as underwater surveillance, submarine communication, and marine ecosystem monitoring.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1424-8220
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spelling doaj-art-e25a1a8eb6e24ffe95fc4c48e891acec2025-08-20T03:52:57ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-05-01259287310.3390/s25092873Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic SensingMehmet Ziya Keskin0Abdulkadir Yentur1Ibrahim Ozdur2Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara 06510, TürkiyeDepartment of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara 06510, TürkiyeDepartment of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara 06510, TürkiyeAcoustic sensing has many applications in engineering, one of which is fiber-optic hydrophones (FOHs). Conventional piezoelectric hydrophones face limitations related to size, electromagnetic interference, corrosion, and narrow operating bandwidth. Fiber-optic hydrophones, particularly those employing distributed feedback (DFB) lasers, offer a compelling alternative due to their mechanical flexibility, resistance to harsh conditions, and broad detection range. DFB lasers are highly sensitive to external perturbations such as temperature and strain, enabling the precise detection of underwater acoustic signals by monitoring the resultant shifts in lasing wavelength. This paper presents an enhanced interrogation mechanism that leverages Mach–Zehnder interferometers to translate wavelength shifts into measurable phase deviations, thereby providing cost-effective and high-resolution phase-based measurements. A dual interferometric setup is integrated with a standard demodulation algorithm to extend the dynamic range of these sensing systems. The experimental results demonstrate a substantial improvement in performance, with the dynamic range increasing from 125 dB to 139 dB at 1 kHz without degrading the noise floor. This enhancement significantly expands the utility of FOH-based systems in underwater environments, supporting applications such as underwater surveillance, submarine communication, and marine ecosystem monitoring.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/9/2873acoustic sensingfiber lasersfiber-optic sensorshydrophonesinterferometers
spellingShingle Mehmet Ziya Keskin
Abdulkadir Yentur
Ibrahim Ozdur
Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing
Sensors
acoustic sensing
fiber lasers
fiber-optic sensors
hydrophones
interferometers
title Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing
title_full Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing
title_fullStr Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing
title_full_unstemmed Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing
title_short Dual Interferometric Interrogation for DFB Laser-Based Acoustic Sensing
title_sort dual interferometric interrogation for dfb laser based acoustic sensing
topic acoustic sensing
fiber lasers
fiber-optic sensors
hydrophones
interferometers
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/9/2873
work_keys_str_mv AT mehmetziyakeskin dualinterferometricinterrogationfordfblaserbasedacousticsensing
AT abdulkadiryentur dualinterferometricinterrogationfordfblaserbasedacousticsensing
AT ibrahimozdur dualinterferometricinterrogationfordfblaserbasedacousticsensing