Large-scale interferometric fiber sensor arrays with multiple optical amplifiers

We report what we believe to be the first laboratory prototype of a fiber sensor array using multiple low-gain (5dB) remotely pumped amplifiers in a 10-rung ladder structure. Incorporating amplifiers improves the system noise figure to less than 20dB, compared with 32dB in an optimized passive array of the same size. Scalability to more than 300sensors per fiber pair while a high dynamic range (1microrad/ sensitivity) is maintained is demonstrated.